Ravad 78 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 College coaches will have to recruit the old-fashioned way next year. This is about a week old but I did not recall seeing anything on this posted. I don't think they should ban it, but I do think they should control it better. INDIANAPOLIS -- College coaches will have to recruit the old-fashioned way next year.More from ESPN.com • Score one for the Luddites. Ivan Maisel wonders how NCAA coaches lost the right to text-message recruits. Story • For recruits and their parents, the flood of text messages from college recruiters can be overwhelming, Bruce Feldman writes. Story • A coach in his 70s uses it. A 40-something is fine with dumping it. That's some kind of divide on the value of texting, Andy Katz writes. Story The NCAA's board of directors approved a ban Thursday to eliminate all text messages from coaches to recruits beginning in August, then left open the possibility of revisiting that legislation as early as 2008. "One of the abuses that was described to us were text messages from a coach to a player saying, 'Call me,'" Division I vice president David Berst said on a conference call. As a result, coaches will no longer be allowed to send text messages to recruits. High-school athletes face far fewer restrictions. A recruit, for instance, could still message a college coach although the coach could not respond under the new rule. The move comes a week after the NCAA's management council recommended passage of the ban, which also eliminates communications through other electronic means such as video phones, video conferencing and message boards on social networking Web sites. E-mails and faxes would still be permissible and subject to current NCAA guidelines, which include some time periods that prohibit coaches from contacting recruits in any form. What it means to coaches is fewer opportunities to attract players through today's high-tech tools, and rely more on the post office, e-mails and phone calls. The proposal was creating concern among today's tech-savvy coaches even before Thursday's 13-3 vote. On Monday, Grant Teaff, executive director of the American Football Coaches Association, responded to the management council's decision by sending a letter to the board asking it to delay a vote until compromise legislation could be worked out. The Student-Athlete Advisory Council had complained that text messaging was too costly and so intrusive that it sometimes bordered on harassment. Some of those stories prompted the board to ignore the coaches' plea and vote anyway. "The board was swayed very much by what the student-athletes had to say," Berst said. "We heard anecdotal stories of someone waking up and having 52 text messages." In an unusual move, however, the board also indicated it would listen to new proposals. Typically, rules are approved or rejected without comment. "I think it recognized there may be other ways of monitoring communications in the future, so it's open to proposals," Berst said. "But, for now, text messages have been eliminated." The board had given groups such as the coaches associations and conference officials an opportunity to make formal proposals prior to Thursday. None, Berst said, was received by the board before Thursday's meeting. A less restrictive measure on text messages was defeated by the management council in January, leaving the board with a decision on the all-or-nothing approach. Previously, there were no limitations on how many text messages coaches could send. "They would certainly be willing to listen to something that's viable to a complete ban," Berst said. "I think they recognized we had a dilemma where student-athletes suggested there were some problems with text messages whereas coaches and assistant coaches wanted it to continue." Teaff acknowledged last week some restrictions were needed and suggested placing limits on the months text messages would be permissible. Jim Haney, executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, offered to support a measure reducing the hours text messages could be sent -- such as not during school hours or late at night. Enforcing the new measure also could prove difficult. "It's just like enforcing any other rule," Berst said. "You're not allowed to buy a kid a hamburger when he goes on the road, but that's tough to enforce, too. There are many rules that, on the face of them, are unenforceable." The board also approved a package intended to help increase graduation rates among baseball players. Among the measures that will take effect in August 2008 are: • Requiring transfers to sit out one year before regaining their eligibility like football and basketball players. Baseball players currently receive a one-time exemption from that rule. • Teams that fall under the NCAA's new cutline to determine academic progress, a score of 900, also could face a 10 percent reduction in the number of games played and practices allowed. That means some teams would lose up to six games from the current 56-game schedule and 13 of 132 practices. "I think the baseball community has taken very serious steps to ensure that players can achieve those measures in the classroom as well as continuing to be successful on the field," NCAA president Myles Brand said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM4AU 338 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I think this is a lame rule. One would think the NCAA has better things to do than worry with text messaging. Setting a standard on this is fine, but outlawing it is stupid. Then again, we are talking about the NCAA... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FootballFanatic 4 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 From what I read the student athelete association pormoted the measure so that recruits had a more structured contact cycle. Coaches were starting to over contact students and they felt the whole thing was invasive and costly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tigrinum Major Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Does this mean that Houston Nutt can't text Donna Bragg anymore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aubie16 1 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I wouldn't have a problem with it except from the cost perspective. Getting 30 texts a day from college coaches could get expensie. Yes, you can get an unlimited plan for like 15 dollars a month, but a lot of familes that this recruits come from have better things to spend 15 dollars every month on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MDM4AU 338 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 From what I read the student athelete association pormoted the measure so that recruits had a more structured contact cycle. Coaches were starting to over contact students and they felt the whole thing was invasive and costly. From all I have heard, both students and coaches like it because it is usually quick and to the point. Students didn't have to answer right away and didn't have to fool with a bunch of small talk and lengthy phone conversations. With "Unlimited Texting" on most plans now, the cost isn't that much. According to my wife, who is a HS teacher, texting is a very popular way to contact each other. Also, could they not set a limit on the number of text messages or when they can text just like phone calls or face-to-face visits? This is just a stupid rule, IMO. Does this mean that Houston Nutt can't text Donna Bragg anymore? Depends on which one is the student... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drewau02 0 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I would much rather leave a text message as opposed to leaving a voice message on an answering machine. Regards, Alec Baldwin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kickerman97 3 Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I would much rather leave a text message as opposed to leaving a voice message on an answering machine. Regards, Alec Baldwin haha. Everytime i see him since I watched 'Team America:World Police', all I can think is ... Joe: Your plan will fail! You'll never keep the world leaders distracted here for 9 hours!Kim Jong Il: Oh no? I've got Arec Barrwin! Joe: Dear God! later in the movie... Kim Jong Il: You are worthress, Arec Barrwin! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthLink02 8 Posted May 6, 2007 Share Posted May 6, 2007 I like it because it's going to make Urban Meyer find another way to constantly badger recruits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saniflush 0 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Does this mean that Houston Nutt can't text Donna Bragg anymore? I think it just means she will have to initiate all contact herself starting 8/1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abrnfanatc 6 Posted May 7, 2007 Share Posted May 7, 2007 Does this mean that Houston Nutt can't text Donna Bragg anymore? I think it just means she will have to initiate all contact herself starting 8/1. Actually, it means Hooten can text her all he wants. No pesky recruiting texting to get in the way now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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