College soccer · High school players, US and international
Your college soccer pathway starts with understanding your options.
College soccer offers real opportunities at every level. The challenge is understanding where your player fits, what is realistic, and how to navigate recruiting.
RicFit brings college coaching experience, professional soccer knowledge and practical recruiting tools together, so your family makes informed decisions.
Free. About four minutes. You get an initial pathway assessment the moment you submit, then set a password for the College Portal. A parent or guardian can fill it in.
The people behind it
College soccer, from people who have lived it.
Eric “Ric” Friedlander, founder
Ric played NCAA Division I soccer at the University at Buffalo, then 11 years overseas across five countries. He became a professional club General Manager and is now a FIFA-licensed agent.
Ian Collins, Director of College Recruitment
26 years of NCAA Division I coaching, 21 as a head coach at Kentucky and Hofstra, plus five years running college placement at IMG Academy. At Kentucky his teams won seven conference championships.
October 2026
Ric and Ian launched the RicFit College Pathway together.
A professional player and agent, and a Division I head coach who ran college placement at IMG, building one plan for your family.
The right fit
The right college is about more than soccer.
Your college decision should reflect who your player is as a player, a student and a person. Playing time matters, and so do academics, affordability, the campus and long-term goals. The goal is the right fit, not simply the highest division.
- 01
The player
Where the player will train, play and keep improving.
- 02
The student
A school whose academics fit, and a degree worth having.
- 03
The family budget
What college really costs after every kind of aid.
- 04
The person
The campus, the coach and the long-term goals.
If soccer disappeared tomorrow, would you still want to attend that school?
The pathways
College soccer is not a pyramid.
Division I is not automatically the right destination, and Division III is not a lesser one. There are excellent players, coaches, schools and places to develop on every pathway. It is about the right opportunity for your player.
- D1NCAA Division I
- Competition
- The biggest programs and the heaviest schedule: training, travel and the season take the most time.
- Academics
- From large state universities to highly selective private schools.
- Financial aid
- Athletic scholarships, usually partial and shared across the roster.
- D2NCAA Division II
- Competition
- Strong, often international rosters, with more balance between soccer and school.
- Academics
- Many mid-sized public and private universities.
- Financial aid
- Athletic scholarships, usually partial, often combined with academic aid.
- D3NCAA Division III
- Competition
- Very competitive at the top, with a shorter season and more time for everything else.
- Academics
- Includes some of the most selective academic schools in the country.
- Financial aid
- No athletic scholarships. Academic merit and need-based aid, which can be generous.
- NAIAOutside the NCAA
- Competition
- Competitive programs, mostly at smaller schools, with a simpler eligibility process.
- Academics
- Mostly small private colleges and close-knit campuses.
- Financial aid
- Athletic scholarships, usually partial.
- JUCOJunior college
- Competition
- Two years of games and development, then a move to a four-year program.
- Academics
- Lower cost, and a chance to raise grades before transferring.
- Financial aid
- Scholarships at some programs, and far lower tuition.
| Pathway | Competition | Academics | Financial aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| D1NCAA Division I | The biggest programs and the heaviest schedule: training, travel and the season take the most time. | From large state universities to highly selective private schools. | Athletic scholarships, usually partial and shared across the roster. |
| D2NCAA Division II | Strong, often international rosters, with more balance between soccer and school. | Many mid-sized public and private universities. | Athletic scholarships, usually partial, often combined with academic aid. |
| D3NCAA Division III | Very competitive at the top, with a shorter season and more time for everything else. | Includes some of the most selective academic schools in the country. | No athletic scholarships. Academic merit and need-based aid, which can be generous. |
| NAIAOutside the NCAA | Competitive programs, mostly at smaller schools, with a simpler eligibility process. | Mostly small private colleges and close-knit campuses. | Athletic scholarships, usually partial. |
| JUCOJunior college | Two years of games and development, then a move to a four-year program. | Lower cost, and a chance to raise grades before transferring. | Scholarships at some programs, and far lower tuition. |
A general guide. Rules and aid differ by school and change over time; a RicFit advisor checks them for your player's class.
The portal
Tools that support the plan
The advice comes from people who have recruited and been recruited. These four tools keep your family organized between conversations.
- 01
Your initial pathway assessment
From the profile you submit: the pathways worth exploring and what to work on first. It is a starting point, not a final evaluation. Our analyst's review of the video, and a conversation about academics, finances and goals, complete the picture.
- 02
Coach emails
Fill in the player once, then write each coach email in a minute and send it from your own inbox. The tracker shows who answered and who needs a follow-up.
- 03
Timeline
What is due for the player's class this month: the Eligibility Center, the June 15 contact date, camps, visits and the senior-year paperwork.
- 04
Coach requests
College coaches tell us the positions they need for their next class.
Player stories
Players we have supported along the way.
These players worked with RicFit at different stages of their development.
Photo: Portland Athletics NCAA DI · University of PortlandRitvik Karra
Building the habits college soccer demands.
On September 26 he scored his first goal for the Pilots, the winner in a 4-0 victory over LMU. He was named West Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Week two weeks in a row. His work with RicFit focused on physical preparation and training habits for college soccer.
Photo: Pacific Athletics NCAA DI · University of the PacificFateh Singh
From youth soccer to NCAA Division I.
Fateh started working with Ric at 14. Over more than four years his journey ran through Sacramento Republic and MLS NEXT programs at Nashville and San Jose. He now plays Division I soccer at Pacific.
Photo: Eastern Connecticut Athletics NCAA DIII · Eastern Connecticut State UniversityAnton Smith
A regular starter. Recognized in the classroom.
In 2025 he started all 17 matches he played, averaging 79 minutes a game, and earned Little East Conference All-Academic recognition while majoring in biology.
Photo: Maranatha Athletics NCCAA DII · Maranatha Baptist UniversityHannah Evans
National champion. All-American. Nursing major.
She helped her team win the 2020 NCCAA Division II national championship and was named a Second-Team NCCAA DII All-American in 2021, while studying nursing.
- Tarek El-Zammar
- Canisius · NCAA DI
- 16 appearances and nine starts in his freshman season.
- Alec McAlister
- Wofford · NCAA DI
- Division I experience at Evansville and Wofford.
- Salah Mahmoud
- Virginia State · NCAA DII
- Ten appearances, seven starts and 651 minutes as a junior in 2024.
- Kane Reese
- Cal Lutheran · NCAA DIII
- College and UPSL, then signed in Germany and earned another contract.
College names identify playing backgrounds and do not imply institutional endorsement. These are individual stories; outcomes vary by player.
A plan for your player
Want a recruiting plan built for your player?
It starts with the profile. Submit it for your player's initial pathway assessment, then talk it through with a RicFit advisor: video, competitive level, academics, finances and goals. The plan comes from that conversation.
Free initial assessment
Tell us about your player
About four minutes. Your initial pathway assessment comes back the moment you submit, then set a password and the College Portal opens.
An initial assessment, not a final evaluation: video, competitive level, academics, finances and goals complete the picture.
High school players from freshman year up, and players at a college now who want to transfer. International players are welcome. A parent or guardian can fill in the form and hold the account.