I think each sport is obviously different. One thing about track and cross country is each D1 and D2 can give out 18 female scholarships (total) and 12 men scholarships (total) that's to everyone on the team. The average men and women's teams unless it's a big school or well-established program where walk-ons like to come if they actually get to run or not are around 20 men and 20-25 women. A good example of comparisons, BYU has 26 active roster XC runners, probably 10 on missions (men's team), then you look at Idaho's State, which has far less money, they have about 14 women and 11 men. You'd think, well why don't they have more on their team because you said 18 and 12, the problem is that's only for that semester when XC is in season. The track also only has 18 and 12 scholarships and they have a bunch of other athletes that need the money as well. With sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, vaulters, etc, your NCAA level track team is going to need many more scholarships which they simply don't have the scholarships.

My son actually received a better deal going to a JC in his freshman and sophomore years (full tuition and books both years) plus an academic award. He doesn't have to have a side job. And though he wasn't elite in high school, the top guys in Region 4 were mostly
on Lone Peak, American Fork, Bingham (at that time), with a couple of West Lake and PG athletes. But statewide he was in the top
20 his junior year and top 30 consistently his senior year. He also was one of the top 3 steeple runners in his junior and senior years.
The reality is he knew BYU wouldn't look at him (and he'd be running on their club team), Weber State wouldn't even look at him unless he was okay with walking on, USU didn't respond, SUU didn't respond. We had a number of D3 and D2 teams from the east coast and other locations show interest. UVU would give him a preferred walkon, and Westminster wanted him (but not a full scholarship). So then a JC offered him a full ride and though it wasn't quite what he had in mind after their coach recruited him and we visited the school
it just made sense for the first two years. Most of those credits are generals at most schools and with an associate degree, most schools
he'd transfer to later would accept that degree as he pushed into his major. The other advantages besides the money, the coach was new but she was a former all-American and Olympic athlete. She was an All-American in the steeplechase his favorite event. He was told
he'd get to run against all those elite guys he ran against in high school, he's competitive, so the opportunity to try and beat them was
a big deal. He'd get much better training than his coach gave in high school. All those factors led him to choose to go the junior college route. And I'll admit for the most part it's been a great experience. If it wasn't for COVID we'd have had an outdoor track season, so we haven't been able to see the results of training yet on his steeplechase times, but every other aspect of his running skills have improved. He actually beat a couple of guys that regularly beat him in high school who now attend Weber State, and the training has helped him gain a level he didn't think was possible in high school. So he's been pretty happy, and now he thinks he will continue to run at a bigger school, but he's aware it won't probably be under any scholarship at first, but he's okay with that now. He has excelled academically and is confident he'll get academic scholarships either way and he's well on his way to a future career when he gets out of college. It's everything we wanted for him.

What I'm trying to say, keep an open mind about your son or daughters future. They don't HAVE to go to BYU. There are other schools in the intermountain west with good LDS populations (if you are worried about the atmosphere). Yes, it's not quite the BYU experience, but if they love their sport and they just are not ready to hang up their cleats. There are some options on the non-Olympic side that can be satisfying if not help pay for school. As a parent, you are going to have to help them though make those contacts with the coaches. You can't expect coaches to come to your student-athlete.