Breaking the Bank: SWAC recruiters deal with shortage of money

ITTA BENA, Mississippi -- Karl Morgan had to fill a roster on a recruiting budget of $8,800 a year.

The former Mississippi Valley State coach didn’t have enough money to fly top targets to the Mississippi Delta school. He didn’t have the resources to send hundreds of letters to one prospect, as has become a trend in the recruiting world. He even utilized a free breakfast at the nearby Hampton Inn to feed the Delta Devils’ recruits during official visit weekends.

At one of the poorest Division I programs, Morgan didn’t get a school credit card until his third year there and had to front a lot of the recruiting expenses. During big official visit weekends, he frequently had to give money out of his own pocket to player hosts.

“The head coach had to have enough money in his bank account for ...

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