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NCAA members could have packed their bags last Wednesday afternoon and the Association’s national conclave would have been considered a major success after just one day of meetings. By agreeing to permit Division I coaches in designated sports* to begin making initial contact with high school juniors on September 1, a full ten months sooner than was previously allowed, college recruiting’s gatekeeper has relented from its long-held position of shielding prep student-athletes from the recruiting fray. But in doing so, the NCAA has come to the realization that it can no longer hide from technology, advanced communications and media criticism.
Make no mistake, there will be a serious ripple effect from this rule change which will impact hundreds of thousands of young athletes across America and around the globe. Basically, the new contact date means that the recruiting process will be pushed up an entire year, making juniors fair game. The old rule protected juniors to a degree from head-on collisions with DI coaches. The NCAA’s prevailing opinion was that it wanted to have a hand in preserving the high school experience for student-athletes for as long as possible. However, the almost universal use of social media and cell phone texting eventually painted the NCAA into a proverbial corner. For several years, they have been looked down upon as antiquated and stubborn beyond reason in their stance. Hardly a day passed by when they weren’t being dragged through the mud on talk radio and other sports outlets for their seemingly indifference to modern times. But by testing the influence of an earlier contact date via Division II coaches this past year, and finding that no substantial harm resulted, Division I finally laid down their arms and surrendered.
The ripple effect will also be felt in the sophomore class. They will now be squarely in coaches’ cross-hairs. Division I coaches will be on them. DII coaches will ramp up their efforts because of the additional competition.
And for juniors as this New Age of Recruiting is ushered in? They will be inundated as has no junior class in history. For those prepared, it will be a joy ride, but it will be a very long joy ride. For the ill-prepared, it could be more a curse than blessing. Either way, the next calendar year will be at the very least interesting.
* Volleyball, softball, baseball, field hockey, wrestling, tennis, golf, lacrosse, water polo, rowing, women’s ice hockey and soccer.
National Scouting Report is dedicated to finding scholarship opportunities for athletes who possess the talent, desire, and motivation to compete at the collegiate level. We’ve helped connect thousands of athletes with their perfect college.