# College river town with football ?



## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

I have a kid in his junior year of high school that is getting recruited for football. He also wants to be a raft guide. We are traveling to a bunch of recruiting camps and looking at schools this summer. So... Where can yall think of that a kid could go to college (pre vet or bio), play football (D2) and push rubber? Besides the obvious big Schools, Missoula, Ft. Collins, etc.


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

College of Idaho? NAIA is like D2 right?


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## owendarrow (9 mo ago)

Univeristy of Montana in Missoula...oooops just saw that. Play in CO somewhere and head up to the arkansas in the off season.


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

Fort Collins. I went to Wyoming and lived in FoCo and guided on the Poudre during summers in college. It was amazing! Deeper than guide camp in a small town, socially and culturally. If he went to CSU, which is well known for biological science and veteranary care programs, he could maintain the same apartment all year and still run good whitewater. Plus, it's far enough from good skiing to keep him in school...


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## PDX Duck (Mar 17, 2015)

If D2 is requirement very slim pickings out west…


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Western College in Gunnison, they even have an "intro to whitewater", engineering instruction if he's not the "aggie sort", Gunnison isn't a bad place to be, he'd have the Ark, the Animas both within a couple hours... Ft Lewis is another one, Durango CO, they have a huge outdoor program there, and the Animas, runs thru town. Town is a odd one for a college town though. Mesa State in Grand Junction, got the Colorado and the Green, and all of them have D2 football, the Eagle to the east, but not sure I'd want to run Dowd Chutes on a commercial basis.


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## carvedog (May 11, 2005)

BSU....the Payettes are an hour.


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## skywalker07 (Aug 11, 2015)

University of Idaho, go guide in Riggins in the summer. Or look at working for NRS, headquartered in Moscow.


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## VanHalli (May 5, 2020)

I'll second Western State College (Western Colorado University I believe it's called now) Gunnison is a great river town, could raft guide on the Taylor River 10 minutes outside of town. Western's football program made a good run into the playoffs last season too if I remember correctly.


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

Another plus one to Western Colorado University in Gunnison. Checks all the boxes you asked. I know because I did it. Small school so smaller class sizes. Both Companies up there scenic and three Rivers Offer raft guide training and employment afterwards.


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## nervouswater (Jun 3, 2008)

Appalachian State University. Has a really good football team and there are numerous rafting outfits based out of Boone and the surrounding areas. There are other colleges like Western Carolina that would work too with its close proximity to the Nantahala and Pigeon and it’s not too far from a lot of other great rivers.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

skywalker07 said:


> University of Idaho, go guide in Riggins in the summer. Or look at working for NRS, headquartered in Moscow.


Or the Lochsa, or MFS, or Main Salmon...


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## nolichuck (Mar 11, 2010)

I'm pretty sure App State is division 1. If you are considering schools back east I recommend Mars Hill in Marshall, NC and Brevard College in Brevard, NC. Both are in the mountains and are close to lots of good whitewater. Nantahala Outdoor Center is close to both and their guides work the Nantahala River, the Ocoee River the Chattooga River and the French Broad River. Outdoor recreation of all kinds are abundant in the North Carolina mountains. The Nanty and Ocoee are both dam release so there will always be water at those.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

As you said, its obvious, but CSU in Fort Collins seems like the obvious choice since it has one of the best Veterinary schools in the country and has the Cache le Poudre river to play in. Not sure if they have a Vet program at CU Boulder but if they do its a great school. I guess both are D1 schools though.

I went to CU Boulder for a few semesters and ultimately didn't end up going a different route then College...but I made a ton of friends there, most of whom kayaked. Not much to guide on in town, but lots and lots of rivers in the area especially if you are willing to drive for a few hours.

I always sort of regretted not going to Fort Lewis in Durango. I kind of wonder how different my life would be now if I had. Obviously an amazing area with some of the states best whitewater and outdoor stuff. Smaller school, I'm sure they do Football...not sure what division. Western State or Mesa State seem like similar options as well.

I don't know about Idaho, Montana and the PNW states...but I'm sure there are some great options there too. The Carolinas and Virginias, Tennessee, Maryland and that whole region has some epic whitewater of all types and I'm sure has some great schools with football teams.

haha....way to narrow it down huh?


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## mtwapiti (Jun 25, 2020)

Didn't read through all the comments but Univ of MT Western in Dillon is a NAIA school with an abundance of rivers nearby.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

skywalker07 said:


> University of Idaho, go guide in Riggins in the summer. Or look at working for NRS, headquartered in Moscow.


or just into Washington, WSU has D1 football, pre-vet and proximity to the Lochsa and Selway


Honestly? Seems like pre-vet and D2 football are _each_ full-time jobs. Your kid must be a stud.

In hindsight, I wish I'd have fucked off and boated more while in college.


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## MT4Runner (Apr 6, 2012)

Oh...and he's also likely not going to be guiding during the school year.
Pick the right school for academics first, football second.

Then in the summer, find a cool river to guide on (could be 2 or 10 states away) and live in guide camp. Which probably only includes his freshman and sophomore summers. After that, I'd assume he'd want to be doing some Vet internships.


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## Cchristoferson (Apr 17, 2012)

University of Nevada - Reno


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

The west has way too short of a season... I went to Frostburg State in Western Maryland, that's a great option. Fairmont St and WVU-Wesleyan are good options in West Virginia.

Here's a incomplete list of what is running today in that region - Top Yough, upper Yough, lower Yough, Casselman, Stoney Creek, Big Sandy, all of the Cheat, Tygart, all Potomac branches, Blackwater, Dry Fork


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## psu96 (May 9, 2006)

Sure, let’s be real if he‘s being recruited D2 there isn’t much down time. It’s not like he’s going to have his choice


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

k2andcannoli said:


> Fairmont St and WVU-Wesleyan are good options in West Virginia.


West Virginia.. 5000 families, 5 last names
😉🤣😂😱


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## westwatercuban (May 19, 2021)

MT4Runner said:


> or just into Washington, WSU has D1 football, pre-vet and proximity to the Lochsa and Selway
> 
> 
> Honestly? Seems like pre-vet and D2 football are _each_ full-time jobs. Your kid must be a stud.
> ...


I was actually thinking about this more. Westerns football team trains and practices all summer long. I know some are little kids camps. But I don’t think I ever saw a field empty during the summer.


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## Bleugrass (Feb 5, 2018)

In addition to the Colorado options already mentioned, UNC in Greeley, CO is a I-AA football school (coached by former Bronco Ed McCaffrey) and close enough to the Poudre to guide in the summer.

Gotta ask: are you paying his tuition or is he? I had a chance to play D3 football back east (Ursinus, Widener, etc.) and unless something's changed since the mid-90s, the lack of financial aid for student-athletes at this kind of school requires more earning power than a laid-back rafting job in the summer.


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

carvedog said:


> BSU....the Payettes are an hour.


Top 25 D1 program. Might be tough for a D2 recruit. But I can say going to BSU and boating is fun.


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## COH20man (Jul 13, 2021)

Can't beat Fort leisure (FLC) in Durango. River is literally 5 minutes from campus, skiing 40 minutes away and the 3 hour bubble is amazing in all directions. You should probably consider the one that they will stay at for 4 years and not transfer if you're footing the bill. Also need to consider what else is important in a place to live, like things a big city offers (culture, live music ,an airport for you to visit) But then again, he might end up living in a van down by the river


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## cnalder (Jul 7, 2016)

I don’t have kids in college for a few years and one that likely will get a sports scholarship. In watching the few friends that have kids playing college sports whether Div 1, 2, or 3 seams the demand of the sport eats up all there time and certain sports will eat up their summers also. There are expectations outside the season with sports scholarships. Might be worth asking, but if asking a recruiter may question priority to the sport. 

Sounds like a great opportunity to discuss realities and priorities. Good luck, I’m gonna be going thru that soon.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

Thanks for the input everybody. Durango is definitely an option I lived there for 15 years and did a year of post-bachelor work at fort leisure. In fact he was born there. We're going to most of the camps in Montana since we live here including UM and MSU. And he's getting letters from some of the smaller programs here and some in the Midwest.. He's probably not D1 but he's getting pretty big so we'll see. He just thinks it would be fun to be a guide but realistically I agree there's not going to be much time. But an accessible river is definitely necessary He bought his own 12 ft NRS last year rigged with mini dance floor and fishing seat. Will definitely be looking into some of the places yall suggested I don't like the idea of him playing too far away because I won't get to go to the games as much But we've got people in a bunch of those back east and southern states. Money isn't really an issue as far as we know at this point because of various college funds and assuming scholarship of some kind. So a job isn't really necessary just expected by his parents. So that and 17 years of river experience is why he wants to be a raft guide in the summers. So Hell Yeah and I raise my whiskey cup to all yall


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## Nanko (Oct 20, 2020)

Southern Oregon University or Humboldt State would allow year-round boating.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

LSB said:


> Thanks for the input everybody. Durango is definitely an option I lived there for 15 years and did a year of post-bachelor work at fort leisure. In fact he was born there. We're going to most of the camps in Montana since we live here including UM and MSU. And he's getting letters from some of the smaller programs here and some in the Midwest.. He's probably not D1 but he's getting pretty big so we'll see. He just thinks it would be fun to be a guide but realistically I agree there's not going to be much time. But an accessible river is definitely necessary He bought his own 12 ft NRS last year rigged with mini dance floor and fishing seat. Will definitely be looking into some of the places yall suggested I don't like the idea of him playing too far away because I won't get to go to the games as much But we've got people in a bunch of those back east and southern states. Money isn't really an issue as far as we know at this point because of various college funds and assuming scholarship of some kind. So a job isn't really necessary just expected by his parents. So that and 17 years of river experience is why he wants to be a raft guide in the summers. So Hell Yeah and I raise my whiskey cup to all yall


Love the copy of Western Whitewater in the photo, went out of publication in the 90s, harder and harder to find. We call it "the bible".. still very relevant...


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## Randaddy (Jun 8, 2007)

Nobody wants to play on a blue field.


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## jj jeffries (Jan 15, 2009)

k2andcannoli’s post above is spot on. Lots of football options as well as river work. Ohiopyle home of the lower Yough has summer long employment opportunity. It also has The loop.


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## jmo177 (Apr 17, 2009)

LSB said:


> Thanks for the input everybody. Durango is definitely an option I lived there for 15 years and did a year of post-bachelor work at fort leisure. In fact he was born there. We're going to most of the camps in Montana since we live here including UM and MSU. And he's getting letters from some of the smaller programs here and some in the Midwest.. He's probably not D1 but he's getting pretty big so we'll see. He just thinks it would be fun to be a guide but realistically I agree there's not going to be much time. But an accessible river is definitely necessary He bought his own 12 ft NRS last year rigged with mini dance floor and fishing seat. Will definitely be looking into some of the places yall suggested I don't like the idea of him playing too far away because I won't get to go to the games as much But we've got people in a bunch of those back east and southern states. Money isn't really an issue as far as we know at this point because of various college funds and assuming scholarship of some kind. So a job isn't really necessary just expected by his parents. So that and 17 years of river experience is why he wants to be a raft guide in the summers. So Hell Yeah and I raise my whiskey cup to all yall





LSB said:


> Thanks for the input everybody. Durango is definitely an option I lived there for 15 years and did a year of post-bachelor work at fort leisure. In fact he was born there. We're going to most of the camps in Montana since we live here including UM and MSU. And he's getting letters from some of the smaller programs here and some in the Midwest.. He's probably not D1 but he's getting pretty big so we'll see. He just thinks it would be fun to be a guide but realistically I agree there's not going to be much time. But an accessible river is definitely necessary He bought his own 12 ft NRS last year rigged with mini dance floor and fishing seat. Will definitely be looking into some of the places yall suggested I don't like the idea of him playing too far away because I won't get to go to the games as much But we've got people in a bunch of those back east and southern states. Money isn't really an issue as far as we know at this point because of various college funds and assuming scholarship of some kind. So a job isn't really necessary just expected by his parents. So that and 17 years of river experience is why he wants to be a raft guide in the summers. So Hell Yeah and I raise my whiskey cup to all yall


Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction.


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

Randaddy said:


> Nobody wants to play on a blue field.


Not everyone can paddle the North Fork of the Payette either.


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## LSB (Mar 23, 2004)

MNichols said:


> Love the copy of Western Whitewater in the photo, went out of publication in the 90s, harder and harder to find. We call it "the bible".. still very relevant...


I knew somebody would appreciate that. I was trying to cross reference river towns and college towns. If you look close you could see that the southwest section of that book is beat to shit but I live in the Idaho Montana section now so it's still usable


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## duct tape (Aug 25, 2009)

Having gone through this, although a different medical path, in addition to two of my kids, I’d say pick the school first and focus on the prereqs. The extracurriculars will always work out, even if it means a different location during the summer season.


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## GOTY2011 (Mar 18, 2018)

Didn't read any comments as of yet for Ellensburg/Central Washington University. The Yakima flows through town, there's one commercial rafting operation on the river, and it's a giggle float. Nearby, however the Wenatchee is an hour away, and it's a few hours to Riggins, ID as well as the Grande Ronde, Klickitat, Wind, Skykomish, etc. 

Decent football program and amenities, although still better known as a rodeo town with a wind problem.


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## Pine (Aug 15, 2017)

For those criteria I'd check out Colorado School of Mines. Great school, and close to boating.


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## DoStep (Jun 26, 2012)

If your grades are in order that is, they only take the very best students. Their focus is on classwork and hard work, unlike all other schools mentioned herein and the attributes needed to succeed are frankly the opposite of what I see in _*most *_raft guides. Good football team too, I watched them paste Western 63-0 this season. As a parent, that would be my first pick if he can get in there.


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## Fishingbearclaws (Feb 2, 2021)

LSB said:


> I have a kid in his junior year of high school that is getting recruited for football. He also wants to be a raft guide. We are traveling to a bunch of recruiting camps and looking at schools this summer. So... Where can yall think of that a kid could go to college (pre vet or bio), play football (D2) and push rubber? Besides the obvious big Schools, Missoula, Ft. Collins, etc.


Western Colorado University - Gunnison, Colorado... Mountaineers and the Gunnison River. Arkansas River only one mountain pass away.


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## Ripper (Aug 29, 2012)

Fishingbearclaws said:


> Western Colorado University - Gunnison, Colorado... Mountaineers and the Gunnison River. Arkansas River only one mountain pass away.


This my 8 year old son's current plan for school... He told me that way he can snowboard the Butte, kayak the ark and be that much closer for rafting with his friends that aren't good enough to kayak. I told him it's ok to want to take a year or two off after high school after he explained his reasoning 😆... I've come to terms with raising a dirtbag...


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## jspence01 (Nov 7, 2013)

University of West Virginia Morgantown , Great school. many river opportunitites. (Cheat , Lower Youghiogheny, Upper Youghiogheny,) and a million cool creeks. and Gauley and New are two hours away on Interstate - all four lane to Summersville and Fayetteville


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## k2andcannoli (Feb 28, 2012)

jspence01 said:


> University of West Virginia Morgantown


Let's go Mountaineers!...but that is a big time D1 program. Great city, beautiful school.


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## peernisse (Jun 1, 2011)

LSB said:


> I have a kid in his junior year of high school that is getting recruited for football. He also wants to be a raft guide. We are traveling to a bunch of recruiting camps and looking at schools this summer. So... Where can yall think of that a kid could go to college (pre vet or bio), play football (D2) and push rubber? Besides the obvious big Schools, Missoula, Ft. Collins, etc.


university of Oregon. That’s where I learned to boat. It’s a good school that loves football and tons of rivers all around there.


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