Earlier this month, Sacramento State had 22 football players signed letters of intent and commit to playing their college careers as Hornets.

But of those 22 players, three come from the greater Sacramento area.

Statistics like these have left local athletic directors and prep athletes scratching their heads and wondering whether Sac State is committed to shedding its commuter-school image and building a strong local fan base by recruiting locally.

Cici Robinson, athletic director at El Camino High School, said her school boasts a strong women’s basketball program. She said she wishes more of her girls were approached about playing for Sac State.

“I know it’s been a while since El Camino has had a girl’s basketball player play for Sac State,” Robinson said. “Our volleyball program is also very successful, and we haven’t had (a volleyball player) go there yet either.”

Robinson said she does not feel Sac State recruiters have much of a presence on her campus.

“I don’t know if it’s because they don’t feel we have the athletes they’re looking for, but I haven’t seen a ton,” Robinson said. “I’d like to know what El Camino can do to get a bigger draw for Sac State.”

Suzanne Baker, athletic director at Capital Christian School, also said Sac State recruiters have not shown much interest in coming to her campus to watch her athletes in action.

“If our coaches feel they have a player who can play at that level, we usually contact schools to let them know about them, invite them to a game, etc.,” Baker said.

Robinson and Baker both said there are some good reasons for Sac State to focus on recruiting local athletes who fit the school’s scheme of things.

“One of the benefits to recruiting local athletes is the more local athletes you have, the more (local fans) come to the games to watch, which brings in revenue,” Robinson said. “They’re bringing in a bigger crowd to watch the games because (local fans) are familiar with the names and the faces.”

Baker said pursuing local athletes would also help Sac State dispel its commuter-school stigma.

“Go after those local athletes that fit,” Baker said. “More buy in to the local high schools will only enhance the reputation of the school and, in turn, create more excitement.”

Demetrius Kuwabara is a senior at El Camino who plays football, basketball and baseball. He said he would like to attend Sac State and hopes it will be one of the schools offering him a baseball scholarship at the end of the year.

“I like it because it’s close to home,” Kuwabara said. “It would give me the chance to stay local.”

Kuwabara said he thinks playing close to home would lend itself to helping him realize his full potential as a student-athlete.

“I feel like it would be a good thing because people are more comfortable in an area they know,” Kuwabara said.

Robinson agreed with Kuwabara’s assessment.

“I think you have a bigger support system when you stay local,” Robinson said.

Another one of El Camino’s standout athletes, senior Nicole Hareland, said financial constraints were the driving factor when she was considering where to play volleyball after high school. Hareland, who comes from a single-parent household, received no scholarship offers from Sac State.

This meant there was no possible way she would be spiking and digging as a Hornet.

“My main issue is money,” Hareland said. “I knew I wouldn’t get a full-ride to Sac State so I just didn’t look into it.”

Instead, Hareland verbally committed to American River College when the community college offered to pay her way through her first two years of undergraduate studies. She said where she ends up playing her final two years of eligibility will depend on who offers her a scholarship.

Baker said free college is a powerful incentive for student-athletes considering multiple programs.

“When all is said and done, to get a college education paid for because you can play a sport should make any school offering (a scholarship) one of the choices,” Baker said.

But whether Sac State shows any interest in their prep athletes, both athletic directors said they have to focus on getting the students ready to make the jump to college, regardless of where they end up going.

“Our job is to help prepare them academically, spiritually and emotionally – to be ready for that next step,” Baker said.

Robinson said there are higher priorities than sports for her students to consider when determining where they will attend college – whether locally or otherwise.

“Coaches leave, injuries happen, things happen,” Robinson said. “Make sure it’s a school you would want to go to if you weren’t playing sports. If there were no athletics would you still want to go there? Then you know it’s a good place.”

David Somers can be reached at [email protected].