I know this is a necro-thread, but it is pertinent to me know and thought I would post.
This may be, as you say, a fact, but it sure doesn't seem as such when looking at good, well located, D-II schools and their rosters are consistently 3/4 to 2/3 foreign players. Sounds like a solid counter-argument, but I'm just not ready to believe this is true after my research based on trying to find the right mix of school and tennis for my non-elite tennis playing child.
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There are a higher percentage of international players in D2 than in D1. I looked at the top 150 D2 players on UTR (range about 11.7- to almost 14), and only 14 were Americans-less than 10% (I excluded from US totals players that were listed from another country on roster, but as US on UTR-players are probably trying to set up residency here). If you look at top 100 D1 (range high 13 to almost 15), it's 40% American. The top 100 in D3 with no athletic scholarships is 90%+ American (think range was about 11.7-13.2). If k9exo's son wants to play D2, he should look at private D2s where he might qualify for stacked aid-merit + athletic. Mostly 2 and 3 star US players play D2; probably the 2 stars are only getting merit or need-based aid. Many of the public D2s have pipelines to particular academies in certain foreign countries. A player graduates, becomes an assistant coach, and then recruits from his former country. The best international players are recruited for D1 before they graduate. The next tier graduate, come to the States, work on their English and SAT scores, play some US ITFs, train with a pro they know at a US academy ,and usually get housing with an American family. They can compete for first 6 months, and then 2nd 6 months they cant compete but can still drill and visit colleges.Most find a roster spot with D2 or NAIA and start the following fall as 19 year old freshmen.
Andfor is right that these players will go anywhere that offers 75% +. Some contact 100+ schools with Emails. We had a player from a country that averages 80 degrees year round stay with us. He did not play his best tennis when it got chilly. I suggested he cross South Dakota off his list. Luckily for him, he was recruited by other colleges in warmer locations. Many internationals commit to colleges they have not even visited; they talk to coaches via Skype. US kids think it is a lot to write and call 12 schools.
Per TRN charts, over 800 US boys committed to colleges in 2015. About 400 went to D3 schools. A little over 100 went to D2 schools. Over 300 went to D1 schools, but there are unfunded roster spots for D1. There are roster spots, not scholarships, for most players who would want to play tennis, but some of those spots are at mediocre colleges with poor facilities, parttime coaches, and no athletic scholarships. Some teams only pay for player strings; players have to buy their own shoes and string their own racquets. The club tennis teams at big schools would kill many of those teams. There are college teams with players who have UTRs of 7 when a lot of high schools have players ranked 10-12 UTR.
I dont know what k9exo means by non elite. However, from observation of past recruits who got to play and those who sat on the bench, it seems most US freshmen on Power 5 and ranked teams that get to play are 5 star+ 12.5+ UTR. Mid majors may include some 3 stars, but most are 4 or 5 star, 11.5 UTR+ to play. Coaches will recruit players .5-.75 UTR below for the bench. Private D2 are 3 star +, 11 UTR+. Players that are not least a 3 star and UTR 11+ should look at D3 or NAIA. Players should play tennis because they are passionate about the sport, not for the hope of scholarship. The lucky players are the one that get 20% return on their training investment. Most parents of 4 star and up players have spent $75,000 to $200,000 over 5-12 years to get their players to that level. There are non monetary values to playing college tennis: priority in housing and registration, academic support, admission into selective school with help of coach, excitement of playing college tennis, game development by coach and matchplay, opportunity to play and room with players around the world, networking, etc.
Choose a college that is a social, academic, and tennis fit using UTR and TRN of current players as a gauge. If player is not the level to play at his dream school, consider club tennis. My son has would not want to go to a college without any international players, but he wouldnt want to choose a team either with only 2 Americans. Many public D1s these days have internationals at the top of the lineup receiving the bulk of scholarships and cheaper in state US players toward the bottom of the lineup.
I think you might have hit the nail on the head.
