That's what I was thinking because the old scoring had I believe 1600 as a perfect score and 1600 is about average now, isn't it? So a 690 today would be extremely low but Tony Rice's score would like be higher than that just based on the new scoring system.
Wizard's got it right, the NCAA only considers two of the three parts,
Math and Verbal on the SATs.
1600 was a perfect score on the exam for Students and Athletes in Rice's day. 2400 is perfection for STUDENTS, not athletic scholarships, today. It's still 1600 when looking at an an NCAA Grant in Aid.
The sum of the Math and Verbal scores are used on the NCAA Sliding Scale so a 1600 is still the max test score for the NCAA whether today or 30 years ago.
A lot of recruits today report their three part score to the media. So a kid with a 1500 could be carrying a 300 on his math test and the public wouldn't be the wiser. It's not as easy to tell today from recruiting service reports.
And for whoever brought up re-centering, yes, the SAT scoring system has been reconfigured twice, I believe, since Tony took his exams. So let's give him another 50 points today. He would still be INELIGIBLE not just for ND but for an athletic scholarship at ANY FBS school just as he was in '86. Only the Prop 48 program is gone so Tony would be going JUCO or playing for a lower division school.
Tony worked very hard and has been commmended for his success but realize he came in through a window that has only existed for one ND recruiting class.
Paddy Mullen from MO was academically deficient and worked hard his Senior Year of HS after being told by ND that his GPA was too low and had to be raised although he was already eligible by NCAA standards. Paddy made the grades and was admitted. There are others that have done the same.
Aldo de la Garza was a Texas OL who wanted ND dearly. He also buckled down his Senior year hit the books and retook tests. He never got approved by ND but he did qualify for an NCAA scholarship and was a 3 year starter at A&M.
Carson Palmer was told by ND Admissions to retake a course or a test as was WR David Terrell out of VA.
Both balked. Palmer went to USC and Terrell went to Michigan. Terrell was an ND verbal before he docomitted because he was "dissed" but having to do "extra work" to get into ND. Palmer spoke publicly about the ND "slight" before one of the ND/USC games. Neither got admitted to ND but both made All-American on the field.
Walter Payton went ballistic when he was told his son had math deficiencies. If I remember correctly his son went to St. Viator's where Walter had sent him so he could get a solid college prep education. The problem was St Viator's has supplied a lot of students to ND over the years and Admissions was very familiar with the course offerings there as well as the quallity of work St Viator's students produced at ND. Hugh pedigree but not the right courses and correspoding grades. Bottom line, no admission. I think he ended up at Miami.
In '95 Holtz got LOI's from two students which had NOT been approved by ND Admissions. Holtz tried to finesse them passed Admissions. Admissions put their foot down and both were denied. There was no final senior year of high school do over, nor summer school option, nor test re-take. Holtz made some phone calls, one went to FSU and then Marshall after he got tossed out of FSU. He made All-American and All-Pro. The other had a stellar RB career at Miami and I believe was an AA.
Maurice Stovall had an 800 on his SATS for two parts. He's the lowest test score I recall in the past twenty some years being admitted to ND. There always appears to be a 17 or two and to their credit and to Admissions and the Tutorial Staff and Coaches most of them made it through. And SEC or Big 10 posters will send me PM's about ND's hypocritcal standards.
ND Admissions does not have hard and fast numbers for GPAs and Test Scores. They look at the student's HS performance and character and make a judgement call. "Many are called but few are chosen."
But at ND of those chosen ... almost everyone graduates with a meaningful degree that was earned in the classroom regardless of size, hometown, or family 1040.