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Board Will Reconsider Recruiting Proposals

The NCAA has announced to its membership that the recruiting deregulation proposals that were the cornerstone of the Rules Working Group Package passed by the Board of Directors in January will be reconsidered by the BoD at its May meeting. This essentially means that the proposals are overridden, since reconsideration by the Board of Directors is exactly what would have happened if the proposals had reached 75 override requests. This action is in spite of the fact that the proposals still have a ways to go with just over two weeks left in the override period:

  • Proposal 11–2 (any staff can call recruits): 27 requests
  • Proposal 13–3 (unlimited calls and texts): 19 requests
  • Proposal 13–5-A (deregulated mailings): 27 requests

Some of the proposals have slowed down the pace of requests, although most override activity typically comes within the last week or so of an override period. But the decision by the Rules Working Group and now the Board of Directors to reconsider the proposals is curious given that in two weeks, they would know whether the membership met the threshold for such a review. Also possible is that the willingness of the NCAA to reconsider the proposals is slowing down the pace of overrides.

There are already some potential ideas to fix the proposals, including:

  • Suspend the proposals pending further change;
  • Suspend the proposals for just football while a broader review of the football recruiting model (already underway) is completed;
  • For Proposal 13–3, bring back the limit on frequency of calls, but allow text messages;
  • For Proposal 13–5-A, consider the adoption of 13–5-B which would prohibit all mailings (materials could be posted to websites or emailed).

Also looming is Proposal 13–2, which would move the start date for communication with prospects to before their junior year in high school, rather than their senior year. That proposal was tabled by the Board of Directors in January for more feedback. It may be part of the discussion as well, looking at how earlier access to recruits can be balanced with limits on access.

The override process will continue so that the NCAA and its members know what will happen in the event that the Board of Directors chooses to leave any or all of the proposals as is. If 75 override requests are reached, then any proposal not altered or tabled by the board will go to an override vote. A 5/8 majority of voting schools is necessary to defeat a proposal in an override vote.

Update (3/7/2013): The NCAA has announced that the Rules Working Group is recommending that Proposals 11-2 and 13-5-A be suspended while changes are made. The Board of Directors will consider that recommendation during the May meeting.


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