Rivals’s $399 Evaluations Test What a Recruiting Ranking Is Worth
Coaches are split on whether rankings still matter in recruiting.
Rivals, a leading recruiting services website, introduced a new paid service called Rivals Recruits that offers the opportunity to be evaluated and ranked by the site's scouts. The service starts at $29.99 for a profile and portfolio, with the peak price at $399 for an evaluation and ranking. The announcement of the program sparked backlash on social media, with critics claiming it takes advantage of parents and kids.
Rivals founder Shannon Terry dismissed the criticism as coming from competitors and people who "don't like us." Terry maintains that the evaluations are conducted by human scouts, not AI, and that the cost primarily covers their time. The service aims to provide a platform for under-recruited players to showcase their talents and potentially attract college interest.
The evaluations range from 0-100, with specific grade ranges indicating different levels of potential. While the service may be seen as valuable for lower-level players, some coaches argue that there's no evaluation more valuable than the ones conducted by coaches themselves.
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