New NCAA rule will ban TXT MSG in recruiting process
Andrew Sweat, a heavily recruited junior linebacker at Trinity High School, recently received 40 text messages in one day from the Notre Dame coaching staff.
A few months ago, Sweat's cellular phone bill included 5,000 text messages, many of them communications between himself and college coaches.
But, in a few months, Sweat and other high school prospects will see "new message" on their phone with much less frequency. The NCAA has decided text messages from college coaches have G2G ("got to go" for those of you who aren't into textspeak).
The NCAA Division I Board of Directors recently passed a rule that, starting Aug. 1, forbids college coaches in any sport from sending text messages to high school prospects.
The new rule will be a big change for many in the Division I recruiting world, especially college football coaches. Sending text messages to recruits has become highly popular the past two years. For example, in April, Sweat received text messages from Ohio State coach Jim Tressel and Florida coach Urban Meyer at halftime of the NCAA basketball championship between the two schools.
The NCAA has rules limiting when and how many times a college coach can contact a recruit on the telephone. For example, coaches can call high school juniors once in May. From September through December, they can call seniors once a week.
But there is no limit on sending text messages, and coaches use them to communicate and get around the phone-call rules.
A sampling of some coaches and players shows varying opinions on the rule that bans text messages. Some coaches say it was needed, some say the rule doesn't go far enough and some say there is no need for the rule, and that it only pertains to heavily recruited players.
As for the players, some are glad about the new rule because all the messages can be invasive. Other players say the rule simply needs to be refined, with limits on times coaches can send text messages.
Pitt assistant coach Greg Gattuso recruits Western Pennsylvania and said he uses text messages "a ton" with high school recruits. He also said Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt "always" uses text messages with recruits.
"It's a very valuable tool," Gattuso said. "I think it's a very efficient way to communicate with kids, without having to set aside a two-hour period for phone calls.
"I'm very disappointed with the rule. My personal feeling is that maybe there should just be a limited time frame to use text messaging. Maybe from after school until 8 p.m. at night."
Toledo coach Tom Amstutz, in Pittsburgh recently for Joe Butler's Metro Index Camp for high school players, said he uses text messages some, but not as much as his assistant coaches. He understands the new rule.
"I think it got to the point where the text messaging was overdone," Amstutz said. "People were sending text messages in classes and during ridiculous hours. I think what should maybe happen is evaluate it over a year, come back and figure out a reasonable time and reasonable amount of text messages. ... I think there's a way to make sure we keep it civilized and done in an orderly fashion."
Although most schools ban the use of cell phones in schools, top high school recruits sometimes get text messages from coaches during classes.
Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, who recruits Western Pennsylvania, uses text messages some, but believes recruiting "still comes down to people interacting with people, face to face. There are a lot of different ways to get your point across, but the best way is still face to face or being able to really talk with someone."
Bradley doesn't believe the new rule is good enough. College coaches can still send an unlimited amount of e-mails and faxes to high school prospects. Plus, recruits can send text messages to college coaches.
"The NCAA is always playing catch-up," Bradley said. "I really don't think it's going to stop much because there will just be some new electronic gadget that comes along and will be used. All that's going to happen is kids will be able to get their e-mails on their phone and coaches will send them e-mails. Or the coaches will communicate with instant messaging on phones.
"I don't think we're being proactive with this. If the NCAA comes up with anything, I think they should count any electronic transmission as a phone call. If you want to send a text message, fine. That should be counted as a phone call."
Gattuso countered, "I've heard some coaches complain about text messaging, but most coaches I know really like it."
The American Football Coaches Association asked the NCAA to make a compromise instead of banning text messaging altogether, but the NCAA said TTYL ("talk to you later").
The idea for the ban came from the NCAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
"The committee just saw the text messaging as intrusive and some thought it was being overused," said Stacey Osburn, the NCAA associate director of public and media relations.
But Sweat is one player who doesn't mind receiving text messages from coaches, even if it is sometimes one hundred a day. Sweat has scholarship offers from Division I schools across the country.
"I can see a little bit why the NCAA is doing it," Sweat said. "Maybe some kids don't have a cell plan with unlimited text messaging or maybe don't want to pay for that type of plan. But, from my perspective, I have no problem with [text messages]. I think you can kind of learn some coaches' personalities."
Jeannette junior quarterback Terrelle Pryor, ranked by some scouting services as the No. 1 player in the country for next season, gets 40-50 text messages a day from college coaches. A year ago, all the text messages cost him some money. At that time, his phone plan didn't allow for unlimited text messaging (sending or receiving). When he got a monthly bill, he owed more than $200.
"I called my phone company and told them college coaches were texting me and that it wasn't my fault," Terrelle Pryor said. "They took off something like $50."
After that, Terrelle Pryor changed his plan to include unlimited text messaging, which he said costs an extra $20 a month. Terrelle Pryor is one of the most heavily recruited players in Western Pennsylvania history, with dozens of scholarship offers for football and basketball from schools across the country.
Although Terrelle Pryor would like to see the new rule modified, even he admits the text messages can be annoying. One day, he got a text message from every member of one college coaching staff. He wouldn't reveal the staff, but said their school will not be one he considers.
Thomas Jefferson's Lucas Nix, a highly recruited lineman, said he gets about 20 text messages a day from colleges. The number is dropping because he said he never answers.
"If you text them back, they'll text you for an hour," Nix said. "I don't text them back, no matter who the coach is."
Some text messages from schools are nothing more than a "mass message" sent to many numbers.
"But you can tell which ones are personal," Sweat said.
Nix recently got a text message from new Alabama coach Nick Saban that read: "Only eight schools will play for a national championship in the next four years. Alabama will be one of those schools. That's pretty good odds."
Terrelle Pryor laughed about a recent text message from a school he wouldn't name "that was trying to hook me up with some girls at their school."
"I don't think the [messages] should be taken out altogether," Terrelle Pryor said. "They just need to change it a little."
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