​A look inside Nissan Stadium.High school recruiting has always involved a gap between athletes seeking exposure and the scouts able to evaluate them. Rivals is now trying to address that problem with a paid service, but the price has become the center of the conversation.The company says the program can bring more prospects into its scouting process, while critics question whether families should have to pay for that opportunity.Rivals CEO Shannon Terry Faces Backlash Over $499 Athlete EvaluationsOn3 and Rivals CEO Shannon Terry introduced Rivals Recruits as a way to evaluate film from athletes who may not receive traditional scouting coverage.Terry pointed to the large number of high school football players compared with the small percentage receiving Rivals star ratings. The service costs $499, and paying for an evaluation does not guarantee a rating or ranking.The explanation has done little to quiet the criticism.One fan challenged the price directly, writing on X, “Is this you excusing charging $500 for this? It’s complete (expletive).”The debate has centered on whether limited scouting capacity should be addressed by charging athletes. Another user questioned Terry’s explanation, writing, “Would be a shame if someone published your internal revenue documents which would disprove the claim you don’t have the resources to handle all recruits.”The service is designed to cover prospects outside the FBS level, including athletes targeting FCS, Division II, Division III, and NAIA programs. Terry said those players rarely have their film reviewed by Rivals scouts, while the new program would use the same scouts and standards.PREDICT THE CFB SEASON:PFN’s Free CFB Playoff PredictorThis approach has drawn a broader response about the cost of recruiting exposure. One critic wrote, “Lol this is such (expletive). You’re greedy and want ways to take advantage of the athletes even more. This is a nonsense explanation.”Another reaction went further, writing, “Shameful and disgusting. If you had the slightest bit of self-awareness, you’d be ashamed. Why is everyone working in college football a sleazeball who damages the game? P.S. I was already unwilling to patronize your companies. Love Indy content creators.”Not every response offered a detailed argument. One fan simply dismissed the announcement by writing, “This is lame.”The criticism also raised questions about whether Rivals has created an opening for another recruiting service. One user wrote, “This is beyond pathetic. There’s a massive space for an actually decent recruiting service to take over the market.”The strongest reaction called for consumers to reject the company altogether.One fan wrote, “College football is under attack from so many directions, and now this. Shameful. Not into cancel culture, but everyone should put this company out of business asap. Don’t spend another dime on this. Support independent content creators. There are many producing