NCAA Approves of New Legislation
Friday was a big day for the college football and college football recruiting. The NCAA’s Division-I Council approved several pieces of legislation that will change many schools recruiting tactics and how they handle recruiting strategies in general.
· It changes the recruiting calendar to allow for an early signing period in December (effective Aug. 1). Only the Collegiate Commissioners Association can create new National Letter of Intent signing periods.
· It adds a period for official visits that begins April 1 of the junior year and ends the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June of that year. Official visits can’t occur in conjunction with a prospect’s participation in a school’s camp or clinic (effective Aug. 1).
· It prevents Football Bowl Subdivision schools from hiring people close to a prospective student-athlete for a two-year period before and after the student’s anticipated and actual enrollment at the school. This provision was adopted in men’s basketball in 2010 (effective immediately, though schools may honor contracts signed before Jan. 18, 2017).
· Football Bowl Subdivision schools are limited to signing 25 prospective and current student-athletes to a first-time financial aid agreement or a National Letter of Intent. Exceptions exclude current student-athletes who have been enrolled full-time at the school for at least two years and prospective or current student-athletes who suffer an incapacitating injury (effective for recruits who sign after Aug. 1, 2017).
· It limits the time for Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to participate in camps and clinics to 10 days in June and July and requires that the camps take place on a school’s campus or in facilities regularly used by the school for practice or competition. Staff members with football-specific responsibilities are subject to the same restrictions. The Football Championship Subdivision can conduct and participate in camps during the months of June and July (effective immediately, though schools may honor contracts signed before Jan. 18, 2017).
· It allows coaches employed at a camp or clinic to have recruiting conversations with prospects participating in camps and clinics and requires educational sessions at all camps and clinics detailing initial eligibility standards, gambling rules, agent rules and drug regulations (effective immediately).
· It allows Football Bowl Subdivision schools to hire a 10th assistant coach (effective Jan. 9, 2018).
The big news is the early Signing Period and the 10th assistant coach being added next January.
In addition to National Signing Day, recruits will have the
option to sign in December. It will allow recruits to see where they truly
stand with programs if they receive a letter of intent, but also allow for the
luxury of constant communication to cease.
2018 Notre Dame running back commit Markese Stepp saw the news and will now do his research on the new option available to prospects.
"It's a possibility for sure," stated Stepp.
The 10th assistant coach for Notre Dame will be current quarterbacks coach Tommy Rees. The only change for Rees will be his role with recruiting. In January, Rees will be allowed to hit the road in recruiting, but nothing changes with his on-field role.
The date is also friendly to college staffs across the country, as the there will not be massive coaching changes in April.