Rulebook Changes For The NCAA

New changes address the role
of social media in recruiting

The past week brought some big changes for both Division I and Division III NCAA rulebooks.  Last Saturday, January 20, the NCAA Board of Directors passed 25 of 26 proposals to streamline the complex Division I manual.  The goal of the changes, according to NCAA.org, is to adopt “a set of proposals aimed at creating a more flexible manual based on common sense.”  Regarding the changes, NCAA President Mark Emmert was quoted on NCAA.org saying, “These new rules represent noteworthy progress toward what can only be described as more common sense rules that allow schools more discretion in decision-making.”  He went on to say “This vote by the Board of Directors refocuses our attention on the things that really matter, the core values of intercollegiate athletics.”

To see the complete list of new Division I proposals see NCAA.org.  One particular proposal worth noting is 13-3, which will eliminate restrictions on methods and modes of communication during recruiting.  Essentially this change allows coaches to send unlimited text or social media messages to recruits and also make unlimited phone calls during recruiting.  Some high school coaches and student-athlete advocates are concerned about the potentially overwhelming amount of communications top recruits could receive.  However supporters of the proposal believe coaches will learn quickly to exhibit discretion, as student-athletes may be turned off by a barrage of messages.  All of the proposed Division I changes will go into effect on August 1, 2013.  Each change will be reviewed after two years to evaluate effectiveness and whether or not the rule is supporting student-athlete success.

Last Saturday recruiting with social media was also a point of review and discussion for Division III delegates.  Though just barely approved, Proposal No. 9 “allows contact between coaches and prospects as long as it is strictly between only the sender and recipient (for example, no use of public chat rooms, message boards or public communication through a social networking site).”  Direct contact via social media between coaches/recruiters and student-athletes is already permitted in both Division I and Division II.  Supporters for Proposal No. 9 cited benefits the other divisions currently enjoy to help pass the proposal.  They say social media is a more effective way to reach recruits, and many schools allege that student-athletes prefer this type of social interaction to traditional means of communication.  Ref. dallasnews.com, ncaa.org, ncaa.org