Gentlemen in College Athletics

February 2 of every year is National Signing Day.  It is a chance to be proud of the future of a football program, or at the very least know what to expect on paper.  It also marks the end of one of the more cutthroat aspects of college athletics: recruiting.  Many storylines emerge this season as Alabama signs more than they need, coaches bicker over understood recruiting practices, and of course other coaches commit NCAA violations.

Nick Saban had to inform one of his commitments that he couldn't sign him this season.  According to eh Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Justin Taylor, the seventh 2012 commitment to the Tide, was informed that the Alabama staff basically found a better recruit.  However, if he wanted to enroll at Alabama he could and they would hold a scholarship for him next season.  After a year of being a proud Bama prospect, Taylor ultimately signs with Kentucky.  Alabama is not new to the practice of over-signing players.  Mike Herndon at AI.com recalls it is arguably the reason Bobby Dodd pulled Georgia Tech from the SEC, since the conference would not reign in on Bear Bryant.  One major difference is the scholarship limits currently in place.  Regardless, it is not a god practice to lose trust with recruits and it damages the image of the program and can jeopardize future prospects willingness to commit.

Sporting News highlights another unfavorable practice.  The Big Ten usually has a "gentlemen's agreement" that once a player signs with one school in the conference, the other schools leave said player alone.  Enter Urban Meyer.  After pulling a player from Michigan State, he does the same to Wisconsin.  Wisconsin coach Bret Bilema has involved the Big Ten office in this dispute, and Meyer defends his position because even though he asked, the recruit should have said he isn't interested.  Most conferences do not have such understanding, including the Southeastern Conference, where Meyer spent a few years coaching at Florida.  Until a player signs, he is considered fair game, which is usually how smaller programs like Vanderbilt eventually lose out on stellar talent.  Because the importance in college athletics is about winning at all cost, it only stands to get a lot worse.

Ken Seguira of the AJC reports how text messaging costs a coach his job and may get a school already in trouble in even more heat.  Georgia Tech is already under probation, but text messages, which are not allowed from coach to recruit, made their way out from a school already on pins and needles with an appeal to the NCAA.  Only faxes and electronic mail are permissible from coaches to recruits.  Because Tech is already under probation, this may influence how the NCAA penalizes the school.  Fortunately, it will not affect the current appeal of the earlier violations.

Recruitment is a year-round activity.  It is one of the easiest ways for a school to violate NCAA regulations.  It highlights the importance of a good compliance office and a relationship between administration and coaches to ensure all aspects are by the book.  In many cases, recruiting doesn't violate regulations, but is considered unethical by practice.  Being accountable and respectful to your colleagues is just as important as obeying the rules of the governing body.  Ultimately, how a program is publicly perceived determines its success, in spite of rules violations or ethics practices.