Override Watch Week 3
The third edition of Override Watch 2013 is against the backdrop of the Rules Working Group seeking extra feedback from conferences and member institutions about some of the proposals. There is no indication that the request for feedback is anything but sincere, but it could slow down the override process some, if schools believe concerns are going to be addressed another way.
RWG Proposal 11–2 – Noncoaching Staff May Recruit: 23 requests
Proposal 11–2 added another 11 override votes, another steady increase. With three weeks to go, we should see this rate increase a bit to get to 75 requests.
RWG Proposal 11–3-B – Ban on Scouting Opponents: 16 requests
Last week I said 11–3-B needed some more momentum this week to get to the magic number of 75. It got that, adding 11 more requests. The comments would be fascinating, as well as knowing whether there is any common ground (resources? sports?) between the schools opposing a scouting ban.
RWG Proposal 11–4 – Eliminate Off-Campus Recruiter Limits At Any One Time: 5 requests
Opposition to Proposal 11–4 seems to have run its course, adding just one request this week.
RWG Proposal 12–5 – Payments from An Amateur Team or Event Sponsor: 2 request
Another week, another single, solitary request added for an override of Proposal 12–5. Token resistance here, nothing more.
Proposal 13–1 – Definition of a Student-Athlete: 3 request
Proposal 13–1 would allow schools to treat prospects as student-athletes once they sign, for a number of purposes. This proposal has picked up one requestAnother week has passed, so it is time to check in on the override process for the Rules Working Group proposals.
RWG Proposal 13–3 – Unlimited Calls and Texts: 16 requests
Override periods tend to focus on one or two proposals. This year’s might have been different, but perhaps we are seeing opposition rally against Proposals 11–2 and 13–5-A. Proposal 13–3 added only five requests this week, slowing its momentum toward 75.
RWG Proposal 13–4 – Publication of Grad Rates and Banned Substances: 1 request
No action at all this week on Proposal 13–4. Still one school objecting.
RWG Proposal 13–5-A – Deregulated Recruiting Materials: 22 requests
Nine more requests for an override of Proposal 13–5-A. It makes sense why 13–5-A and 11–2 would draw more opposition than 13–3. Unlimited phone calls is not a cost/resources issue for more than a handful of schools. But adding staff and creative mailings would be a financial burden for a larger group.
Proposal 13-7 – Publicity After Signing: 4 requests
With just two more requests added, odds of getting to 75 are slim.
RWG Proposal 13–8 – Deregulated Camp and Clinic Employment: 3 requests
This may have been a proposal that could have had more opposition, given how camps are used to get around a number of limits on income for athletes and staff, but just one request was added this week.
Proposal 16–1 – Awards After Full-Time Enrollment: 1 request
A little late to be just starting, but one school is objecting to a proposal that appears to just apply one rule year-round rather than two separate rules that I doubt many people in college athletics knew existed.
Proposal 16–2 – Expenses to Receive Noninstitutional Awards: 1 Request
I get why a school would object to this, since you could start to get creative with travel and awards to essentially finance vacations for any athlete. But with just one request less than three weeks from the deadline, not much chance that opposition turns into anything.
RWG Proposal 16–3 – Academic and Other Support Services: 5 requests
No real acceleration or organization of the opposition here. Like Proposal 16–2, the objection here has to be how far some schools can go if they think hard enough about what Proposal 16–3 allows. But again, the objectors are running out of time to do anything about it.
RWG Proposal 16–4 – Medical Expenses: 7 requests
It is almost, mercifully, time to close the door on any chance this proposal has of being overridden, but another three schools have objected to a deregulation of medical expenses that, it can’t be said enough, appears to do nothing except delete some words.
RWG Proposal 16–5 – Benefits for Student-Athletes’ Families: 4 requests
Two more schools filed requests on the simplification of what you could provide to athletes’ families. Which means little chance of success at this point.
RWG Proposal 16–6 – Entertainment: 5 requests
Only two schools added requests to override Proposal 16–6, which means that more schools are still objecting to expanded medical expenses than expanded entertainment expenses.
RWG Proposal 16–7 – Expenses for Practice and Competition: 4 requests
Last week this proposal has none, so my best guess is that most of the objection here comes from a single conference. The two most likely causes for concern are the removal of the departure/return restrictions or the allowance for expenses to represent the institution in noncompetitive events.
RWG Proposal 16–8 – Expenses for National Team Tryouts: 1 request
This proposal is added to the list, surprising only in that opposition took this long. Allowing schools to finance an unlimited number of national team tryouts and competition would seem to be a huge advantage and one that schools would have be prepared to foot the bill for if they want to recruit top athletes in Olympic sports.