NCAA Looks to Limit Text Messaging

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Article from The State

Old article.

I don't think they should limit it. Reading the article, it is very clear that it could also be a turnoff for some recruits. Letters and emails are unlimited, this isn't much different.

Recruiting is a sales game. And there is a fine line between being aggressive and annoying. Let the idiots who think they are cool do this and the real coaches will let the programs speak for themselves.

Recruiting | Texting sends a mixed messageAs practice increases, abuses might force NCAA to act

By SETH EMERSON

Staff Writer

Mike Jones could have done without the regular vibrating on his cell phone, a sign that yet another text message had arrived. Seldom would he respond, but that mattered little.

Limited by the NCAA to two phone calls per week, college coaches have realized they could get around the rule by text messaging Jones, Lower Richland’s basketball star, at any time ... And they did.

“All the time,†Jones said. “Everybody, when they can’t call they’ll text you. They’ll be in different time zones, they’ll text you wherever they get a chance. It’ll be early in the morning or late at night.â€Â

It finally ended in the fall when Jones committed to Syracuse. And it ended for most high school senior football players on Wednesday, National Signing Day.

But the use of text messaging by college coaches is likely to continue on a very frequent basis unless the NCAA decides to step in. And there are signs it might.

Today most high school kids own cell phones, and recruiters have utilized text messaging as an easy way to legally communicate with players as often as desired.

Ben Alexander, the T.L. Hanna football star who signed with Texas, once received a text message from Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis, who supposedly was at Wrigley Field.

“It said, ‘Here at the old ballgame, take me out,’ something like that,†Alexander said. “Urban Meyer at Florida, he sent me a couple text messages, too.â€Â

The days of coaches showing their love for recruits by writing 100 letters a day  as former Southern Cal basketball coach George Raveling reportedly once did  seem to be over.

Instead when recruiters have descended upon Spring Valley, which has several top junior prospects, they have asked Vikings coach Jimmy Noonan for players’ cell phone numbers.

“It’s an invaluable tool,†said Middle Tennessee State coach Rick Stockstill, who was South Carolina’s recruiting coordinator until December. “Like yesterday, when you’re only allowed one phone call to a kid. You can keep communicating, and text messaging. It just allows you to stay in touch.â€Â

Text messages have to be short and to the point, which is another reason coaches might keep sending them. Unlike letters or e-mails, they arrive instantly.

Jones said the messages he received were usually from assistants bragging about how many championships their schools had won. Tim Tebow, a top quarterback in Florida, received a text from Meyer that in part said “National Championship, Heisman, it’s all waiting for you,†according to the Orlando Sentinel.

Not everybody thinks the trend is a great thing.

Last year, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association submitted a proposal to the NCAA to limit text messaging and instant messaging over the Internet. It was defeated in April by half a vote.

As it stands, text messaging is classified by the NCAA in the same category as e-mails and letters: Unlimited. By comparison, coaches can make only two phone calls to recruits during their senior year and one a month to juniors.

The NCAA at first considered text messages to be the same as phone calls but changed that judgment in Aug. 2004. The basic rationale was to “allow institutions to have flexibility in technology,†according to Chrissy Schluep, the NCAA’s assistant director of public and media relations.

“There’s been an acknowledgment in the membership that the intent of the rule, and application of the rule, some differences exist,†Schluep said. “As a result, there are several groups in the membership who are discussing some proposals for change.â€Â

Beth Bass is among those expressing concern. Bass, who is from Hartsville, is executive director of the WBCA, which will survey women’s coaches this spring to see whether to bring its concerns back up.

Bass said the WBCA has heard “horror stories†of students coming out of class and having 30 text messages and of coaches text messaging players at 3 a.m.

It can work the other way, too. She said she has heard of players text messaging coaches and seeing which ones respond.

“There’s gotta be some sanity in the process,†Bass said. “That’s why we were hoping we could legislate it. We can’t at this point. But we’re hoping our coaches can regulate and legislate themselves, because it’s definitely an issue.â€Â

Men’s coaches appear to have fewer concerns. Jim Haney, head of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, said his members “have expressed no concerns†about text messaging.

Haney recognizes that text messaging has become more frequent but still thinks of it much like a letter.

“It allows us the opportunity to say things to the prospect that we wouldn’t be able to say otherwise,†Haney said. “(The recruit) doesn’t have to read it. It’s really in the hands of the prospect whether he reads it.â€Â

Jamie Newberg is a recruiting analyst for Scout.com, and he follows the process intently enough to have formed an opinion.

The tipping point for him came during a recent conversation with his former high school coach in San Antonio, who had four or five college recruits. The text messaging grew so bad that the coach had to stop allowing players to bring cell phones to school.

“They’re doing it unbelievably,†Newberg said. “The schools that are taking advantage of it. ...I think it’s happening so much that the NCAA will put in some legislation. That’s how much I think it’s getting out of control.â€Â

At Lower Richland, there is at least one big-time recruit who would probably agree. Jones estimates he received 10-15 texts a week. He discounted their effectiveness.

“No, it was aggravating after awhile,†Jones said.

His recruitment over, Jones doesn’t have to worry about it anymore. But the text messenging grew annoying enough that he was happy to get none at all.

How did he pull that off?

“I cut my phone off and got a new number,†he said, smiling.

[quietfan 233]

Article from The State

Old article.

I don't think they should limit it.  Reading the article, it is very clear that it could also be a turnoff for some recruits.  Letters and emails are unlimited, this isn't much different. 

Recruiting is a sales game.  And there is a fine line between being aggressive and annoying.  Let the idiots who think they are cool do this and the real coaches will let the programs speak for themselves. 

Instead when recruiters have descended upon Spring Valley, which has several top junior prospects, they have asked Vikings coach Jimmy Noonan for players’ cell phone numbers.

223862[/snapback]

I'd be pi$$ed if my high school coach was passing out my number to anybody! I'm the ONLY person who has the right to give out my personal number.

I see one big difference between text messaging vs. e-mail or snail mail: Isn't it fairly common for incoming text messages to result in a charge against one's minutes in some cell phone contracts? I certainly wouldn't want to be getting 10-15 or more text messages a day if they were costing me money. [Actually...I, personally, wouldn't want to be getting that many calls of any type in a day--but that's just me. I hate telephones in general... ]

Of course, I think the entire recruiting process has gotten out of hand. To me, it's ridiculous that 17/18-year-olds are the focus of so much attention. But with college ball being such big business (even mediocre coaches getting paid $1.8 mill a year? ) I understand it's not going to change.

[SouthLink02 8]

Good.

IMO, no contact means no contact.

[Aubie16 1]

For most service providers, you pay a certain fee for a certain amount of text messages included.

It's usually something like 4.99 for 500 messages. Then after that, its 2 cents for every message you recieve over the pre-alloted amount. 10 cents for every extra you send.

If some recruits are getting 10-20 texts a day from coaches (as they claim) this could certainly get out of hand. You have the option of turning off texts by calling your service provider, but that shouldn't be necesary if you like using them to talk to friends.

TM, I agree there is a fine line between agressive and annoying, but I wouldn't refer to coaches who text as 'idiots'. Our coaches do their fair share of texting recruits.

[tigerdude 0]

It would seem to me that if a kid didn't want to get any more text messages, he can tell the particular school(s) that if he gets any more, they are out of the running. But then,, that may be too simplistic!

[MDM4AU 332]

Yeah, I thnk it is quite ridiculous that "no contact" can mean email and text message is ok. But what do you expect from the NCAA?

On the other hand, TM made a good point. Let those that want to show off and potentially shoot themselves in the foot do so.

But, No contact still means no contact. I heard a story about a coach standing on the other side of the street from a recruits house and texting him to look outside. They carried on a conversation right there (by text message of course). Just a little "blurring of the lines" don't you think?

[WeagleDMS 0]

No contact should mean no contact. Period.

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

TM, I agree there is a fine line between agressive and annoying, but I wouldn't refer to coaches who text as 'idiots'. Our coaches do their fair share of texting recruits.

224037[/snapback]

Point taken. I would imagine that they would take advantage of this type of thing. I just hope that they are not one of the ones that go overboard.

[WeagleDMS 0]

TM, I agree there is a fine line between agressive and annoying, but I wouldn't refer to coaches who text as 'idiots'. Our coaches do their fair share of texting recruits.

224037[/snapback]

Point taken. I would imagine that they would take advantage of this type of thing. I just hope that they are not one of the ones that go overboard.

224256[/snapback]

Considering how good our classes have been since the advent of text messaging, I'd say whatever they're doing they need to keep on doing it.