Proposal could forbid text-messaging
Proposal could forbid text-messaging

By John Helsley

Published: April 19, 2007

The NCAA is taking aim on high technology in recruiting, leaving college coaches to ponder this question:

r u ready for a ban on txt msgs?

The Division I Management Council has approved a proposal that eliminates text-messaging in recruiting, sending the issue to an April 26 vote of the Division I Board of Directors.

The measure, sponsored by the Ivy Group, would potentially close a loophole in the rules that has become prevalent since the practice became widespread.

Telephone calls and personal visits from coaches have long been regulated. But in April 2004, the NCAA classified text-messages with e-mail, regular mail, instant messages and faxes, which carry no restrictions.

Since then, the use of text-messaging has taken off. Depending on the viewpoint, the practice is either a helpful tool or utter harassment. Prospective recruits find their inbox buzzing with alerts at home, in class, even in church. And at any time.

"It's intruding on their lives and creating inappropriate relationships with coaches,” said Anna Chappell, a former University of Arizona athlete and the chair of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, who spoke in favor of the proposal. "If you don't stop it now, what roads are you going to have to cross later on?

"If you want to ‘keep up with the times' and ‘keep up to speed with student-athletes,' you forget that student-athletes as a whole said they wanted the elimination of text-messaging.”

Athletes contacted Wednesday by The Oklahoman, however, spoke of pros and cons in regard to text-messaging.

"That can be good and bad,” said Blake Griffin, an Oklahoma basketball recruit. "That was one of the main ways I got to know Capel was through text messaging.”

But Griffin said that when texts multiply by multiple coaches, it can be overwhelming.

"You can be talking to 10 coaches at one time,” Griffin said, "and you're trying to do what you have to do at the same time.”

Said Millwood football recruit Gerald Jones, who will attend Tennessee in the fall: "It could be good because it's just calls. The bad thing is now that they're on the phone with you, they have so much to tell you. Since they couldn't text you, you'll be on the phone for a long time. It might kill your social life.”

It can crash budgets, too.

Receiving, as well as sending text-messages result in charges on phone bills. While many recruits opt for unlimited text-messaging as part of their billing plans, there are others who are either not savvy enough or can't afford elaborate plans.

There are challenges for coaches, as well, with the competitive pressure to land top prospects leading some to try to outdo the next guy.

"This is an effort to help recruits better manage their time,” Sooners football coach Bob Stoops said. "And it will probably help us manage our time better, too. We're always trying to make rules better for the recruits. And in this case, also reduce interruptions.

"It's fine with me. As long as the rules are the same for everyone, we can adapt.”

Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy said his assistants could suffer by restraints.

"Our staff feels it would be a big disadvantage because text-messaging allows you to out-work other schools. We work it 24 hours a day. If they take it away, it equalizes everything.”

Most coaches and players agree that text-messaging helps in building relationships. For this generation of teenagers, texting can almost be a preferred method of communication.

Bound by so many other regulations regarding contact, players and coaches say texting can allow a more personal appeal.

"You know they're talented, but you'd really like to get to know them,” OSU assistant basketball coach James Dickey said. "We're limited on the number of times we can see them. We're limited on the number of times we can actually talk to them or family members. We have a lot of limits.

"Text-messaging allows you to talk to them more.”

OU football assistant Brent Venables, an avid text-messager, said he understands the concerns.

"There's positives and negatives, obviously,” Venables said. "It's a great tool as far as access to kids and to get your message out and develop relationships. But there's inconvenience on their behalf and our behalf.

"It's a distraction for school, for family time, for homework. It's an invasive tool, but it's extremely beneficial, too.”

A vote by the Division I Board of Directors to ban text-messaging is not a given. An earlier proposal to limit text-messaging was defeated in January.

Jeremy Crabtree, the recruiting editor at Rivals.com, said he's been waiting and watching for the NCAA to take on the topic of text-messaging. Even now, he's not sure how effective legislation can be.

"I was talking to one college coach who's already thinking of loopholes,” Crabtree said. "Things like, ‘What about texting parents? What about disposable phones? What about e-mail?' Most of the coaches I talked to don't know how (the NCAA is) going to regulate it.

"This is going to be a big can of worms. I don't know if there's one solution. It is a very murky, very unique situation.”

Staff writers Mike Baldwin, Brandon Chatmon and Blake Jackson contributed to this story.