RD, around Wausau, many athletes sign to play D2, in MN and the Dakotas mostly. While I'm sure there are a few kids who prefer staying close to home or being a big fish in a small pond, when they interview them on TV after they sign a letter of intent, they all seem thrilled to be recruited at all, and like it's an opportunity they could not resist. I don't think many kids offered a free ride end up at the state schools, though I would think some may end up there after a year or two at a D2 school. Also, the MAC schools recruit heavily in the Upper Midwest, as the Big Ten does not dip far below the elite.