The recruiting component is a critical piece to the success of collegiate athletic programs. Small colleges that rely on athletic programs as a branch of enrollment management find coaches and athletic directors continuously searching for the most talented student-athletes to increase the chances of winning games. Along with talent, coaches must decide if student-athletes are a good fit for the institutional culture. Understanding the college choice process of student-athletes is essential for college coaches at small, private, NCAA Division I institutions; therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the college choice process of student-athletes at small, private, NCAA Division I institutions. This qualitative case study investigated the college choice process of 12 student-athletes who were in the fall semester of their sophomore year at a small, private, NCAA Division I institution. Semi-structured individual and focus group interviews were guided by Hossler and Gallagher's (1987) three-phase college choice model and conducted with the 12 student-athletes. A thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and the results suggested there are influential factors in the predisposition, search, and choice phases. The findings from study revealed academic rigor, proximity to home, student-to-faculty ratio, welcoming campus community, athletic program dynamic and culture, and affordability emerged as most influential factors in the final decision for student-athletes. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]