NCAA Refines Rules Working Group Proposals
Following membership feedback, the NCAA has refined the list of proposals from the Rules Working Group that will be voted on by the Board of Directors at the NCAA Convention in January. Four proposals are gone from the initial list of 31. Two proposals were dropped in their entirety and two proposals which had alternate versions were cut down to one.
- Proposal 11-1, which would have deregulated pay from outside sources for coaches was eliminated.
- Proposal 12-7, which would have deregulated employment of student-athletes was eliminated.
- Proposal 11-3-B was chosen of the two alternatives, which would ban all in-person scouting of future opponents. Proposal 11-3-A would have permitted in-person scouting.
- Proposal 13-5-B was chosen of the two alternatives, which would ban all printed recruiting materials from being sent to student-athletes except for general correspondence. Proposal 13-5-A would have permitted schools to send essentially any printed recruiting material.
Proposal 11-1 was a major change which would have opened up schools for greater control by boosters or corporate sponsors by allowing them to pay coaches more directly. Proposal 12-7 was similar for student-athletes, in the sense that it would have allowed them greatly expanded employment opportunities including running their own businesses or operating sport camps. Losing the most student-athlete friendly proposal stings, but on the flip side the number of possible unintended consequences was huge.
In-person scouting is relatively insignificant given the amount of video available now of almost any sport, so banning it is probably friendlier to coaches than allowing it. Printed recruiting materials is the type of thing the NCAA should get out of regulating, but pushing schools to stop the flood of brochures and mass mailings is worth it. Let them innovate in the types of emails sent to prospects.