247Sports
 | |
 Screenshot of 247Sports on July 22, 2021 | |
Type of site | Sports |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| Headquarters | Nashville, Tennessee |
| Owner | Paramount Global |
| Founder(s) | Shannon Terry |
| URL | 247sports |
| Commercial | Yes |
| Launched | August 1, 2010 |
247Sportsis an American network of websites that focus mainly onathletic recruitmentincollege footballandbasketball.It is owned and operated byParamount.
The website hosts a large network of team-specific subsites, with each subsite being dedicated to a specific school. As of 2021[update],there is a subsite for everyNCAA Division I FBSteam, as well as many notableNCAA Division I FCSteams from conferences such as theBig Sky Conference,Missouri Valley Conference,andSouthland Conference.[1]
History
[edit]The network was started in 2010 and gained popularity as other sports news media publications began citing 247Sports as a source. Early examples include theDallas Morning News[2]andThe Washington Post.[3]The site also provided special reports on recruiting to sports news media includingSports Illustrated.[4]
In November 2012, 247Sports announced a content partnership withCBS Sports,in which 247Sports would provide content for its digital platforms (includingCBSSports), and CBS Sports Digital would handle advertising sales for the site.[5][6]In May 2013, 247Sports reached a long-term agreement to become the official online selection partner of theU.S. Army All-American Bowland the U.S. Army National Combine, replacing its competitorRivals.[7]In December 2015, CBS announced that it had acquired 247Sports.[8]As of 2022, 247Sports' content operations remain closely aligned with CBSSports. In addition, 247Sports personalities frequently appear as expert analysts onCBS Sports HQ.
In February 2017, 247Sports acquiredScout.[9]In October 2017, 247Sports announced a partnership withPro Football Focus,in which it would provide coverage ofDivision I FBScollege football for the website, including a PFF College microsite and integration of its player grades and rankings across 247Sports.[10]
In early 2020, 247Sports hiredColumbus, Georgianative sportscaster Josh Pate to host a show on the 247SportsYouTubechannel called "Late Kick Live". As of November 27, 2022, the Late Kick YouTube channel had 37,333,585 total views.
In August 2020, founder and CEOShannon Terryleft the company.[11]
In Summer 2021, the company relocated from its original home in suburbanBrentwood, Tennesseeto downtownNashville,where it now shares facilities with Paramount'sCMT.
247Sports Composite
[edit]247Sports features two ratings for high school football and basketball recruits: its own in-house evaluations done by its scouting staff, and 247Sports Composite ratings. The Composite aggregates the public ratings for a prospect by the major recruiting services using a propriety algorithm.[12]The Composite combines recruitment ratings from 247Sports' in-house ratings,Rivals,andESPNin order to provide an overall rating for each recruit. The resulting rankings can be considered an industry consensus on the top recruits in the nation.[13][14]
The Composite does not include any athletes that do not yet have a recruiting profile on 247Sports in order to prevent spoofs from other sites.[15]
Rating scale
[edit]The three major recruitment networks (247Sports,Rivals,ESPN) all have different scales for what their star ratings mean. Below is thecollege footballrating scale used by 247Sports, per the website.[16]
- Five stars
A five star rating is awarded to athletes who are graded with a 98–110 rating (.98–1.00 Composite).
For the 247Sports in-house ratings, five star ratings are given to the top 32 recruits in each recruiting class to mirror the 32 first round picks in theNFL Draft.These 32 recruits from each recruiting class are the players who 247Sports analysts believe are the most likely to be first roundNFLdraft picks in the future. Any player with a rating of 100–110 is considered a potential “franchise player” and are not present in every recruiting class.
- Four stars
A four star rating is awarded to athletes who are graded with a 90–97 rating (.90–.97 Composite).
Four star ratings are given to recruits who analysts believe will have successful college careers that likely result in beingdrafted.ByNational Signing Day,this number is generally in the range of 350 prospects, which is roughly the top 10 percent of prospects in a given recruiting class.
- Three stars
A three star rating is awarded to athletes who are graded with an 80–89 rating (.80–.89 Composite). 247Sports breaks these recruits into three categories:
- High three star (87–89):A recruit with significant NFL upside who analysts expect to be an impact college football player at thePower Fivelevel.
- Mid three star (84–86):A recruit who analysts consider to be a capable starter for aPower Fiveteam or an impact player at theGroup of Fivelevel.
- Low three star (80–83):A recruit who analysts consider as a potential contributor for aPower Fiveprogram, but more likely aGroup of Fivestarter.
This is where the bulk of college football prospects are rated. Three star ratings incorporate a wide range of ability levels and potential.
- Two stars
A two star rating is awarded to athletes who are graded with a 70–79 rating (.70–.79 Composite).
Two star ratings are given to prospects who analysts believe can be potentialDivision I FBS-level players at theGroup of Fivelevel, or aDivision I FCSstarter. These recruits generally have very limited NFL potential.
- Unrated
Athletes who would receive a rating under 70 remain unrated, as recruiters do not award one star ratings. These players maywalk onatDivision I FBSschools, play atNCAA Division I FCS,NCAA Division II,NCAA Division IIIorNAIAschools, or may not participate in collegiate athletics altogether.
References
[edit]- ^"NCAA Football Teams".247Sports.RetrievedDecember 16,2021.
- ^"Plano West RB Auston Anderson turns downs offers from Baylor, TCU, Texas, Texas Tech to commit to Northwestern".Dallas Morning News.2013-05-09. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-07-21.Retrieved2013-05-10.
- ^"Massachusetts RB Johnathan Thomas commits to Maryland".The Washington Post.2013-05-09.
- ^"Predicting where top uncommitted prospects will land on Signing Day".Sports Illustrated.2011-02-01. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-03-10.Retrieved2013-05-10.
- ^"CBSSports Strikes Content Partnership Deal With 247Sports".Sports Business Daily.2012-11-29.
- ^"247Sports gets 'big win' with CBS partnership".Nashville Business Journal.Retrieved2017-10-11.
- ^"247Sports To Replace Rivals As Online Selection Partner For All-American Bowl".Sports Business Daily.2013-05-07.
- ^"CBS Acquires Digital-Sports Site 247Sports".Variety.16 December 2015.Retrieved25 February2016.
- ^"Recruiting shakeup: 247Sports has purchased Scout".2017-02-01.Retrieved2018-05-12.
- ^"247Sports Lands Deal With Pro Football Focus That Will Result In New CFB Site".Sports Business Daily.Retrieved2017-10-11.(subscription required)
- ^"Executive Transactions".Sports Business Journal.11 August 2020.
- ^"247Sports Rating Explanation".247Sports.July 20, 2012.
- ^"Seeing stars: 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN star-rating systems explained".CougCenter.Vox Media. December 15, 2018.
- ^Hladik, Matt (May 26, 2019)."College Football's 10 Best Recruiting Classes For 2020".TheSpun.
- ^"247Sports Composite changes policy after fake recruit catfishes Rivals website".Saturday Down South.February 14, 2019.
- ^"247Sports Rating Explanation".247Sports.RetrievedDecember 16,2021.