RawRecruit vs NCSA: Which Is Better for College Recruiting?
Choosing a college recruiting platform is one of the biggest decisions a high school athlete and their family will make. NCSA (National Collegiate Scouting Association) has been in the market since 2000 and is part of IMG Academy. RawRecruit is a newer, AI-powered platform built by Kevin Monangai, whose brother Kyle earned his way from low-star recruit to the NFL Draft (Chicago Bears, 2025) using the recruiting map Kevin built. This comparison breaks down the real differences in features, pricing, approach, and value. We're transparent about what each platform does well and where the trade-offs lie.
TL;DR
RawRecruit uses AI to match athletes across 5 dimensions with 1,900+ schools and gives you coach contact info: one revealed coach free, then with Varsity every coach on your list we have contact details for, plus phone numbers and social profiles where available. NCSA's MVP and MVP+ memberships include a personal recruiting coach. RawRecruit starts free, and Blue Chip, with founder-led 1:1 calls, is a flat $249.99/mo. NCSA does not publish its pricing. Two third-party reports give $1,320 to $4,200 for its three paid tiers (Grant Magazine, December 2023) and $250 to $2,100 (Scholarships360, October 2025).
Feature Comparison
| Feature | RawRecruit | NCSA |
|---|---|---|
| AI-powered school matchingRawRecruit's 5-dimension Fit Score vs. NCSA's data-driven matching | Data-driven, per NCSA | |
| Sports covered | 6 sports | 31, by NCSA's count |
| Coach emails (direct access)NCSA's Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships let you message any college coach, D1 to NAIA | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo); 1 free coach on Prospect | Coach contact details (NCSA doesn't say which) |
| Coach phone numbers | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo) | Not listed |
| Coach social media profiles | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo) | Not listed |
| Fit Score / match algorithm | 5-dimension (135+ data points for football, basketball, and track & field) | Not listed |
| Free tier available | Yes (Prospect, permanent) | A free profile college coaches can see |
| AI Recruiting Advisor (24/7) | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo) | Not listed |
| 1:1 strategy calls with founder | Blue Chip (Founding Member, $249.99/mo, limited to 40 members) | A personal recruiting coach on MVP and MVP+ |
| 1:1 calls with recruiting coach | MVP and MVP+ memberships | |
| Video highlight integration | Hudl or YouTube film links | Video hosting and highlight support, by membership level |
| Roster analytics | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo) | Roster opening notifications (Champion and up) |
| Cultural fit matchingOne of the Fit Score's 5 dimensions; Varsity adds financial fit data | College Search filters: division, academics, location | |
| Travel distance calculator | Not listed | |
| Public athlete profile | Varsity+ ($29.99/mo) | A free profile college coaches can see |
Not listed: the feature isn't on NCSA's membership page, which compares its Free, Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships feature by feature (checked September 24, 2026). That doesn't prove NCSA lacks it, so ask NCSA if it matters to you.
Pricing Comparison
| Tier | RawRecruit | NCSA |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 (Prospect, permanent) | A free profile college coaches can see |
| Full features | $29.99/mo ($269/yr) | Not published; NCSA asks families to book a call. Two reported ranges: $1,320 to $4,200 for its three paid tiers (Grant Magazine, December 2023) and $250 to $2,100 (Scholarships360, October 2025) |
| Premium (founder-led) | Blue Chip Founding Members, flat $249.99/mo, limited to 40 members. | MVP and MVP+ add a personal recruiting coach; prices not published |
Is a service worth it at all? See our four checks
Key Differences
RawRecruit lists 25,000+ coach email addresses across football, basketball, and track & field, checked for deliverability, plus phone numbers and social profiles where available. A free Prospect account reveals one coach in total; Varsity opens every other coach we have contact details for. You reach out on your timeline. NCSA's Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships let you message any college coach, D1 to NAIA, and see when they view your messages and profile.
RawRecruit's Fit Score algorithm evaluates 135+ data points across 5 dimensions for football, basketball, and track & field. NCSA describes its matching as data-driven, and its human help comes in steps: group coach support on Elite, and a personal recruiting coach on MVP and MVP+.
RawRecruit's Blue Chip tier includes weekly 30-minute 1:1 strategy calls with Kevin Monangai himself. Kevin is a former NFL running back (Eagles, Vikings), former NFL coach (Giants), and a Villanova standout with three-time All-CAA honors. His brother Kyle earned his way from low-star Don Bosco recruit to the NFL Draft using the recruiting map Kevin built. Blue Chip is a flat $249.99/mo and limited to 40 active members because Kevin delivers every call himself. NCSA's MVP and MVP+ memberships get you a personal recruiting coach, not the founder of the company.
RawRecruit has a permanent free tier (Prospect) that includes Top 5 matches, one revealed coach in total, and 5 school searches a month. NCSA's Free membership includes a profile college coaches can see.
NCSA covers significantly more sports (31, by NCSA's count) than RawRecruit's current 6. If you play lacrosse, soccer, swimming, or another sport not on RawRecruit, NCSA is your only option among these two.
NCSA has been operating since 2000 with an established network of college coaches. RawRecruit is newer but uses data-driven matching.
The Verdict
For athletes in the 6 sports RawRecruit covers, RawRecruit offers AI-powered matching across 5 dimensions, direct coach contact, and published prices that start at $0. NCSA's advantage is broader sport coverage (31, by NCSA's count, vs. RawRecruit's 6) and an established human coaching model. If you want a ranked school list and plan to contact coaches yourself, RawRecruit is built for that. If you want a personal recruiting coach and you play a sport RawRecruit doesn't cover, NCSA is the better fit.
See how you match, free
Create your profile and get your Top 5 Fit Scores in under 90 seconds.
See My Fit Score, FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Is NCSA worth the money?
NCSA does not publish its pricing. Two third-party reports give $1,320 to $4,200 for its three paid tiers (Grant Magazine, December 2023) and $250 to $2,100 (Scholarships360, October 2025), and neither says whether those figures are per year. The value depends on your sport and how proactive you are. If you want a personal recruiting coach, NCSA can be worth it: its MVP and MVP+ memberships include one. If you prefer direct access to coach contact information and AI-powered matching, RawRecruit starts at $0 for the free Prospect tier.
Can I use both NCSA and RawRecruit?
Yes. RawRecruit's free Prospect tier gives you Top 5 matches, one revealed coach in total and 5 school searches a month at no cost, which you can use alongside any NCSA membership. The platforms have different strengths: RawRecruit for data-driven matching and direct coach contact, NCSA for human-guided recruiting coaching.
Does NCSA guarantee scholarships?
No. NCSA says it does not guarantee athletic scholarships, and the FTC says legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships. What both platforms can do is help you find programs where you're a realistic fit and provide tools to reach coaches.
How does RawRecruit's pricing compare with NCSA's?
RawRecruit publishes its prices: Prospect is free and Varsity is $29.99/mo. RawRecruit's founder, Kevin Monangai, is available for weekly 30-minute 1:1 calls through the Blue Chip tier. Blue Chip is a flat $249.99/mo and limited to 40 active members because Kevin personally delivers every call. NCSA does not publish its prices, and the two third-party reports we found disagree, so ask NCSA for the full price of the membership you're offered, in writing, before you pay.
Which platform has more schools?
RawRecruit covers 1,900+ schools across football, basketball, track & field, and girls flag football in all 7 divisions (FBS, FCS, D-I, D-II, D-III, NAIA, JUCO). We found no school count on NCSA's pages, so there is no number to compare; its College Search filters colleges by athletic division, academic selectivity and location. RawRecruit's Fit Score draws on 135+ data points per school for football, basketball, and track & field. NCSA has broader sport coverage.
Does RawRecruit replace NCSA?
For athletes in the 6 sports RawRecruit covers (football, basketball, track & field, and girls flag football), it depends on what you want from NCSA. If you want a ranked school list and coach contact details to run your own outreach, RawRecruit does that, starting free. If you want a personal recruiting coach, that is what NCSA's MVP and MVP+ memberships are for; RawRecruit's closest match is Blue Chip's weekly call with Kevin. For athletes in other sports (soccer, lacrosse, swimming, etc.), NCSA is currently the better option.
Sources
- NCSA, Terms and Conditions of UseNCSA's terms name the company behind it as National Collegiate Scouting Association, LLC.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, Is NCSA A Scam?NCSA says it was founded in 2000.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, About UsNCSA is a recruiting service, part of IMG Academy, and has run for over 25 years.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's memberships are Free, Champion (self-guided), Elite (group coach support), MVP (a personal recruiting coach) and MVP+ (a personal recruiting coach plus a mental performance or nutrition coach).Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's MVP and MVP+ tiers include a personal recruiting coach.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA lists its Free, Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships without prices and asks families to book a call.Checked September 24, 2026
- Grant Magazine, Pay To Play (December 14, 2023)This December 2023 article reports that NCSA's three paid tiers range from $1,320 to $4,200, and that an NCSA employee explains that pricing on an introductory phone call. It doesn't say whether those prices are per year.Checked September 24, 2026
- Scholarships360, NCSA review (updated October 28, 2025)This review, updated October 2025, puts NCSA's packages at $250 to $2,100. The reports disagree, so we show both.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, About UsNCSA says its platform takes a data-driven approach to matching athletes with schools where they have the best chance of being recruited.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, About UsNCSA says it covers 31 sports.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, How to Contact College CoachesNCSA's guide to contacting coaches says nearly all college coaches list an email or phone number on their school's website, and that NCSA provides contact details for college coaches nationwide; it does not say which details.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships let you message any college coach from D1 to NAIA and see when they view your messages and profile.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's membership page compares its memberships on workshops, a college coach directory and map, scholarship guidance, SAT/ACT prep, a coach message center with activity reports, roster opening notifications, professional highlight videos, a personalized game plan, direct promotion, 1-on-1 recruiting coaching and IMG Academy+ coaching.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA has a free profile that college coaches can see.Checked September 24, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingRawRecruit's pricing page lists a public recruiting profile among Varsity's features.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's MVP and MVP+ memberships include 1-on-1 work with a personal recruiting coach.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, Is NCSA A Scam?NCSA says that, depending on membership level, its services may include video hosting and highlight support.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's membership table lists roster opening notifications on its Champion, Elite, MVP and MVP+ memberships.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, MembershipsNCSA's College Search, on every membership, filters colleges by athletic division, academic selectivity and location.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, About UsNCSA's sports menu lists lacrosse, soccer and swimming for both women and men.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, Is NCSA A Scam?NCSA says whether it is worth it depends on the athlete, the family's goals and expectations, and how actively the platform is used.Checked September 24, 2026
- NCSA, Is NCSA A Scam?NCSA says it does not guarantee athletic scholarships, roster spots, offers from specific schools or responses from college coaches.Checked September 24, 2026
- FTC, How To Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid ScamsThe FTC says legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships. Its advice covers scholarship services in general, not recruiting platforms.Checked September 24, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingProspect is free, with Top 5 matches and 5 school searches a month.Checked September 23, 2026
- RawRecruit, in-app paywall copyA free Prospect account reveals one coach in total.Checked September 23, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingVarsity is $29.99 a month and adds coach phone numbers and social profiles.Checked September 23, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingVarsity includes the AI Recruiting Advisor, coach phone numbers and social profiles, roster analytics and Fit Score breakdowns.Checked September 24, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingRawRecruit's Fit Score covers five dimensions, including cultural fit. Varsity shows the Fit Score breakdown and cultural fit on all 25 matches, plus financial fit data.Checked September 24, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingBlue Chip is a flat $249.99 a month and includes a weekly 1:1 call with Kevin.Checked September 23, 2026
- RawRecruit, PricingRawRecruit covers 6 sports: football, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's track & field, women's track & field, and girls flag football.Checked September 23, 2026