🏈 New recruiting rules/Student-Athlete access rules on the docket with the NCAA rules committee

[TerryP]

Subcommittee proposes new football recruiting rules

By Michelle Brutlag Hosick
NCAA.org

Division I football coaches could have both new recruiting rules and increased access to their student-athletes in the summer if a group of rules changes is adopted by the Board of Directors later this month.

A subcommittee of the Leadership Council formed to examine recruiting in the sport will present to the full Leadership Council five legislative proposals. The proposals are the first step toward fulfilling their charge to lead a proactive and comprehensive review of recruiting issues identified by football coaches.

The group will propose:

• Allowing football student-athletes to participate in eight hours per week of required weight training, conditioning and film review during an eight-week period during the summer. Student-athletes who participate in the summer activities must be enrolled in summer school or meet specific academic benchmarks. The proposed model is similar to those adopted by men’s and women’s basketball in the last two years.
• Prohibiting a school’s staff members from attending an all-star contest or activities associated with an all-star contest and from having in-person contact with recruits participating in all-star contests from the time the recruit arrives at the event until he returns to his home or school.
• Establishing a dead period when no in-person recruiting can take place from the Monday of the week in which mid-year junior college transfers can begin signing the National Letter of Intent through the Wednesday of the week of the annual American Football Coaches Association convention. The dead period currently begins the Friday after the junior college signing period and ends the Sunday of the week of the AFCA convention.
• Establishing a 14-day dead period in late June/early July for Football Bowl Subdivision schools.
• Allowing schools to pay for meals for up to four family members who accompany a recruit on an official visit. Current rules allow schools to pay for the recruit and his parents, legal guardians, spouse or children but exclude siblings and other family members. This approach provides schools more flexibility to address each prospective student-athlete's specific family situation.

The subcommittee members believe the changes will promote a healthy recruiting environment for both the students being recruited and the football coaches and will protect the integrity of the recruiting process.

For example, by barring recruiting associated with high school all-star games, the subcommittee hopes to minimize the influence of third parties in the recruiting process, such as agents, advisors and runners, as well as keep the focus on scholastic competitions for recruiting.

Also, extending the winter dead period and adding a summer dead period will allow coaches and recruits a break from the recruiting process while still ensuring appropriate time for everyone to make informed recruiting decisions.

The Leadership Council will review the proposals at its Oct. 23-24 meeting in Indianapolis. The measures they endorse will be sent to the Board of Directors for adoption at its Oct. 30 meeting. As proposed, the new rules would be effective immediately

 

[psychojoe]

Looks like they are just tinkering around the edges.

 

[Bamabww]

Wish they'd consider an early signing period.

 

[TerryP]

Looks like they are just tinkering around the edges.

They could have gone an extra step and it wouldn't have made that dramatic of a difference in how a school handles things, but would make a great deal of impact on recruits and their families.

I could easily support the idea that not only do four members get food on official visits as suggested but allow schools to cover travel expenses for families as well.

 

[psychojoe]

They could have gone an extra step and it wouldn't have made that dramatic of a difference in how a school handles things, but would make a great deal of impact on recruits and their families.

I could easily support the idea that not only do four members get food on official visits as suggested but allow schools to cover travel expenses for families as well.

Agree entirely, although it might result in a scramble among family members to get that official visit to the U of Hawaii.:icon_lol:

 

[psychojoe]

Wish they'd consider an early signing period.

I have always liked that idea, but for some reason many in the NCAA structure are opposed to it.

 

[Bamabww]

Agree entirely, although it might result in a scramble among family members to get that official visit to the U of Hawaii.:icon_lol:

A man I worked with had a son who played OL for a powerhouse highschool football team a few years ago and was recruited by the bottom half of the SEC schools and several smaller schools. I suggested to his dad they ought to send a highlight disc / tape to Hawaii and see if they could get an official invite for a visit. He sent one and in no time was issued an invite for a visit. The catch: he had to sign a letter of intent before the school would pick up the tab.

 

[TerryP]

A man I worked with had a son who played OL for a powerhouse highschool football team a few years ago and was recruited by the bottom half of the SEC schools and several smaller schools. I suggested to his dad they ought to send a highlight disc / tape to Hawaii and see if they could get an official invite for a visit. He sent one and in no time was issued an invite for a visit. The catch: he had to sign a letter of intent before the school would pick up the tab.

:icon_scratch:

So, if he signed on signing day then Hawai'i' would reimburse the family for the trip? Seems like that would be frowned upon by the NCAA.

 

[Bamabww]

:icon_scratch:

So, if he signed on signing day then Hawai'i' would reimburse the family for the trip? Seems like that would be frowned upon by the NCAA.

Yeah it does but that's what he said the invite specified. His son didn't make the trip to the islands and ended up at Arkie State.

 

[shipley00]

I have always liked that idea, but for some reason many in the NCAA structure are opposed to it.

Me too. It would take a world of stress off of kids that make up their mind early. No harassing phone calls, texts, e-mails out the wazuu up until the Feb signing period.

When would you do the early period? I know basketball is May, but that adds additional risk to programs for both evaluating talent (surprising the number of kids that jump up in skill and notoriety their Senior year) and grades). One could argue that its even more perilous with Basketball because you can only sign such a limited number compared to football, but because of the limit on the number of players on a team compared to all the programs out there, you have a bigger base of players to recruit.

I would imagine most coaches would be against it because that means they would have to actually actively evaluate and recruit year round. Cuts into duck hunting time!

 

[psychojoe]

Me too. It would take a world of stress off of kids that make up their mind early. No harassing phone calls, texts, e-mails out the wazuu up until the Feb signing period.

When would you do the early period? I know basketball is May, but that adds additional risk to programs for both evaluating talent (surprising the number of kids that jump up in skill and notoriety their Senior year) and grades). One could argue that its even more perilous with Basketball because you can only sign such a limited number compared to football, but because of the limit on the number of players on a team compared to all the programs out there, you have a bigger base of players to recruit.

I would imagine most coaches would be against it because that means they would have to actually actively evaluate and recruit year round. Cuts into duck hunting time!

Good to see you, Mike. Basketball has the early period in October and the late one in May. I think that if football does something similar the early period would be in August.

 

[psychojoe]

Correcting myself on basketball signing periods:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/nli/nli