"But now there are many other schools (some that reside in great geographical areas and others that are far superior in the academics they offer) in comparison to those few who paved the way that will be vying for the top players. "
Please tell me the new programs that are far superior to UVA, NW, Maryland, UNC, that will be vying for the top players .Gets a little old when people come on the site and bash the academics of programs just because they have successful lax histories.
Northwestern (which isn't a state school by the way) enjoyed a huge advantage when they were the westernmost program in the country. With greater competitiion for talent (and poor recruiting) it's obvious they are struggling.
Plus, why go to NW when Stanford is your option on the west coast where you may reside?
Penn State (51% acceptance rate), Maryland (45% acceptance rate), UVA (29% acceptance rate), UNC (26% acceptance rate) will start to compete with a Southern California (16% acceptance rate) as the sport grows nationally.
Or if you're interested in climate and a program in Florida or Carolina was your choice. Well here comes Arizona State to compete - where you can get on the field instead of sitting on the bench.
This is only going to get harder for the blue-blood programs going forward.
