Practice of Oversigning Prospects,

Wait, the NCAA showed some common sense? No way...

 

The SEC rule limits classes to 28 in one year. Which still leaves room for a ridiculous 112 every 4 years. The Big 10 rule that was referenced is much stricter.

Oversigning is a disgraceful practice only committed by extremely unethical schools at this point.

 

The "Houston Nutt Rule" was a very minor step that still allows oversigning.

Alabama currently has 23 commits for its 2011 class (including 2 grayshirted players from the 2010 class). They have 9 scholarship seniors and 4 likely early departures to the NFL draft. That means 10 players that will have to be cut between now and August. And this is before a few more players are surely added to the 2011 class between now and signing day.

That's why we are already getting the typical "anonymous sources" inside of Alabama suggesting that players are "looking to transfer" and "considering their options": http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/11/bj_scott_looking_to_transfer_f.html

 

The SEC simply allows teams to sign 28 players per year, no questions asked.

The Big 10 is much stricter. In order to go over 25, the school has to show that it has fewer than 57 scholarship players returning for the next season and receive conference approval to sign the additional players.

Just kicking players out of school shortly before the deadline, as Alabama did last year, isn't an option.

 

As many of you folks are still practicing sports journalists (I hung up my notepad many moons ago), I hope you'll keep this kind of stuff in mind the next time there's some controversy involving a coach's working relationship with his players. I am referring to cases such as George O'Leary at Georgia Tech, or Mike Leach at Texas Tech (there are more, but these are the ones that leap to mind). I think the operative phrase should always be "cui bono"?

 

If the NCAA tried to institute such a rule, how much resistance might it get from the coaches associations?

 

Well, this is where the NCAA needs to put their money where their mouths are about caring about the athlete-student.

 

Glad the WSJ has finally joined us.

 

Gregg Doyle had a column on the Rob Bolden situation. It does suck that a school can refuse to release a player from scholarship AND pull a scholarship if they want to.

 

Here's Doyle's column. I don't agree with some of it (the jersey thing, for instance), but that's my own personal belief.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/14516719/bolden-situation-reveals-rotten-scholarship-system

I do love the last two paragraphs.

"This system sucks. Shame on you, NCAA, for allowing it. And while this story isn't really about Joe Paterno, screw it. I'll say it. Shame on you, Joe Paterno. You and Penn State are married 'til death do you part -- fine. But Rob Bolden wants a divorce.

Give it to him, you bully."

This is the sort of shit that I've been railing about with the NCAA on here for three-plus years.

 

Posted because there's a transcript of a Rappaport exchange with Saban on the subject from three years ago. Interesting reading.

http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/2011/01/20/a-word-about-oversigning-and-revisiting-sabans-dance/?cxntfid=blogs_jeff_schultz_blog&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Very nicely done by Mr. Doyel (and this will trigger a hit on me by Ryan Sonner ). Explaining why selling jerseys and other memorabilia is a slippery slope was a nice touch.

Doyel also makes an example of hypocrisy with the Randy Edsall mess - not even going back with the team? Also, Edsall would embarrass his player for doing anything similar, but he gets away with this (if it is indeed the true story).