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At UC Davis, scholarships mean plenty of decisions

The money is there, sparkling with promise. Now comes the hard part -- figuring how to spread it around.

Welcome to the brave new world of athletic scholarships at UC Davis. For the first time in its history, the school is handing out financial grants to runners and jumpers.

The athletes are delighted. But the coaches are sweating. How to divide and disburse the dollars?

"It's been a very thought-provoking and time-consuming process," said UC Davis women's basketball coach Jorja Hoehn. "I will admit, it's made recruiting and our job a lot tougher."

When UC Davis was a non-scholarship institution, coaches' jobs were relatively traditional: Roll out the ball, blow a whistle and mold the team. Now that Davis is handing out scholarships worth as much as $2,500, a coach must also be an accountant and general manager.

Under the new rules, coaches must balance their program's budget against the scholarships and make sure a player is worth the investment.

This means coaches must be in touch with players more than ever. Besides knowing about a player's academic and athletic background, coaches have to consider other issues when showing athletes the money.

"It will involve a lot of factors," new men's basketball coach Brian Fogel said. "Now we'll consider a player's financial situation, seniority with the team, his academic status, productivity, commitment to the program and whether he's a good citizen. It's a new process for us, but we'll work slowly toward making the best decision for the athlete, the program and the university."

All this over $2,500? Sure enough.

To maintain a level playing field, the NCAA mandates a college offer a specific number of scholarships for each sport. The value of the scholarship is determined by the university.

For example, the NCAA lets Division II football programs carry 36 full scholarships. At UC Davis, no grant will exceed $2,500. Coaches have the option to give full or partial scholarships.

Ask two coaches to explain their scholarship strategy and you'll get two different answers.

"In the football program, scholarships will be given on a need-based situation," said football coach Bob Biggs, who said he will award scholarships of approximately $1,000 to $1,500.

"If a player is fortunate enough where his parents can send him to school, then he may not get any assistance," Biggs said. "It's not being discriminatory, but we're trying to help those who need the most."

Women's basketball has 10 scholarships, so Hoehn will divide her $25,000 evenly.

"I think that's the best way," she said. "I don't want to jeopardize team unity."

UC Davis coaches may want to consult some of their California colleagues for advice.

Cal State Bakersfield men's basketball coach Henry Clark learned about the challenges of scholarships during his first year on the job.

Last season the Bakersfield basketball program was allotted $65,000 in scholarship money for 13 players. Clark dished out $30,000 for two out-of-state players, whose tuition runs much higher, leaving only $35,000 for the remaining 11.

"The perception is that coaches just throw around money," he said. "But that's not the case. We're crunching numbers and trying to meet the players' needs under tight and sometimes tough financial constraints. It's not easy."

UC Riverside women's basketball has established limits that depend on the athlete's academic year.

First-year Highlanders coach Jennifer Young is handing out $3,900 to freshmen and sophomores, $5,000 to juniors and seniors.

"It's my philosophy not to pay somebody because they are the leading scorer on the team," she said. "I'm paying people based on their dedication to the program and the university.

"That way, you alleviate dissension that could develop among the players. Players talk about how much the other is getting. So establishing a limit based on seniority is important."