Why money, if not salary, could be TCU's problem when it comes to keeping Schlossnagle

Unlike their peers on the football and basketball teams, most Division I baseball players are not on full-ride scholarships, and that puts private schools like TCU at a disadvantage when it comes to recruiting.

NCAA rules limit teams to 11.7 scholarships to divide among a maximum of 27 players. Each player who receives a scholarship must receive at least 25 percent of a full ride.

At TCU — where the cost of attendance tops $60,000— that means a player and his parents could still be on the hook for up to $45,000 a year.

By comparison, a player receiving the same 25 percent scholarship at Texas or Texas Tech would pay $18,700 a year.

Of course, the limitations presented by TCU hasn't hurt coach Jim Schlossnagle enough to prevent him from being wildly successful. He's been able to take the Frogs to five College World Series, including the past four, since being hired before the 2004 season.

TCU, however, missed the postseason in 2018 after finishing sixth in the Big 12 regular season and losing to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament championship.

Schlossnagle is a leading candidate for the job at Mississippi State. He said after Sunday's loss that he's open to listening if the Bulldogs call.

Schlossnagle, who is one of the highest-paid baseball coaches in the country with a salary of about $1.5 million, has been rumored to be a candidate for other jobs, including the University of Texas job in 2016. But during his 15 seasons at TCU, he's met only once with another school: Auburn in 2005.

"I’ll continue to show my loyalty to TCU until something else happens," Schlossnagle said. "Chancellor [Victor] Boschini has been amazing. Every athletic director I've had has been phenomenal."

Mississippi State has one of the largest baseball stadiums in the country. Dudy Noble Field holds the attendance record for an on-campus game when 15,586 attended a game against Ole Miss in April 2014.

That atmosphere could be alluring for Schlossnagle.

But the fact that MSU is a public school would make it easier for Schlossnagle to recruit.

Schlossnagle loves TCU and Fort Worth and the TCU administration has always appreciated the honorable way he has run the program. His players have rarely been in trouble and typically do well academically.

Although MSU is likely to offer a substantial raise to lure Schlossnagle away, a raise would likely to make him the highest-paid coach in the country, a source in the TCU administration says TCU is willing to counter offer with its own raise.

"Schloss is well-liked by the university administration," one source said. "His kids are never in trouble, great academically and he looks the part of a TCU coach."

But Schlossnagle said his potential interest in the MSU job has nothing to do with his salary. Or even how much bigger Dudy Noble Field is compared to TCU's Lupton Stadium. MSU is in the middle of a $55 million renovation to its stadium, which is considered one of the crown jewels in college baseball.

TCU has consistently improved and expanded Lupton Stadium since it opened in 2003. There are plans to increase the upper deck, which would potentially increase the capacity from 6,500 to closer to 8,000.

But money could still be at the crux of the problem for TCU. The MSU job could intrigue Schlossnagle, not because of a potential raise, but for the fewer economic limitations it would present with recruiting.

This story was originally published May 29, 2018 at 6:59 PM with the headline "Why money, if not salary, could be TCU's problem when it comes to keeping Schlossnagle."