Showing posts with label high school recruiting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label high school recruiting. Show all posts

Monday, January 21, 2013

Major rule changes adopted for Division I recruiting

They did it, for the most part. On Saturday, the NCAA Division I Board of Directors adopted some major changes in its rules for recruiting high school players to play in Division I athletics. So effective August 1, college football programs will no longer face previous restrictions on when and how they may contact prospective recruits. The online Inside Higher Education provides a good summary of the changes and the thinking behind them, as well as a summary of much more minor changes in rules for Division II and Division III atheltics. And be sure to check out the NCAA's spin on the Division I rule changes, too.

Thursday, January 17, 2013

NCAA considering more recruiting changes

The NCAA is again considering significant changes in its rules and regulations governing recruiting, and some of them might not be all that welcome for high school football recruits. For one thing, the proposals would greatly ease restrictions on when and how coaches could contact recruits, allowing the possibility that calls from coaches could become about as enjoyable as calls from telemarketers for some recruits. Also, although the proposed rules would certainly seem to clarify and simplify the NCAA's oversight, athletic programs with fewer resources fear that the changes would give even more advantages to wealthier programs. Check out a a well-done article in the January 15 edition of Inside Higher Education for more info, or go directly to the NCAA for its spin on the proposals.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

As football drives more players to transfer to different high schools ... is that wise for the long run?

So it appears that quite a few Texas high school quarterbacks are transferring to high schools where they can get a better shot a displaying their abilities in games, as noted in an October 4 article by Rick Cantu in the Austin American-Statesman. Guess that's understandable to a degree, and it's driven in large part by the now-or-never aspect of recruiting for each class of recruits. High school football players who hope to be recruited by college football programs (and their parents too) believe, rightfully so, that they really have only one good year (or maybe two)  to be recruited as they graduate from high school, and that how they stack up against all other players at their position (i.e,,in their recruiting class made up of potential recruits across the state and country) is a key factor in whether they'll be recruited or not. That becomes a driving force many of them, beyond almost any other consideration about their futures.

But you've got to wonder if this isn't the tail wagging the dog. Even if most of these students transfer, their leaving behind friends and teachers and other opportunties beyond football (and yes, they do exist) ... and for what? That would be the chance to be recruited to play college football. But most of these young men, even those that are recruited, would probably be better off in the long run if they simply got on with their lives without so much concern about playing college ball. Even for players who ultimately make it to the pros (and their aren't many, percentage-wise), football ends for them some day ... and they are young men when that happens. High school football players should prepare for lives beyond football ... and that should be their priority.