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Texting to excess

The Philadelphia Daily News reports on the love affair college coaches are conducting with their Blackberrys and other hand-held messaging devices. Recruits report getting as many as 14 messages a day from the same institution, and regularly receive 15-20 messages total. How much can recruits actually learn about a college from their cell phones, and

How important is face-to-face contact with recruits?

The NCAA limits how much face-to-face contact college coaches can have with high school recruits, but doesn’t regulate text messaging, emails, or many other forms of contact. Coaches can text-message high school kids without limits, but can only visit just once a week during specific times. Yet, many argue that it is the direct personal

Athletic departments review athletes’ web profiles

According to the paper, when asked if there were any red flags in the report submitted by the reviewer, UW senior associate athletic director Vince Sweeney said: “Your idea of a red flag and my idea of a red flag might be different. I’ll leave it at that.” Major college athletic departments have taken great

Editorial calls on UNC to enhance oversight of college athletics

On August 23, the Raleigh News and Observer (link here) published an editorial in support of the Knight Commission’s efforts to reform college athletics through more intense oversight efforts. The editorial references a review of the University of North Carolina system by the nonprofit, nonpartistan Center for Public Policy Research. The Center’s review supports the

Does a scholarship equate to market worth?

The San Jose Mercury News (link here) recently set out to learn if the cost of a college scholarship for a high-profile college football player was fair compensation. The paper created an economic model to determine what junior Marshawn Lynch, a tailback for the University of California, would be worth this season if college football

Sixth year of eligibility for paternity leave denied by NCAA

The NCAA recently denied a sixth year of eligibility to former Kansas defensive lineman Eric Butler, who requested a a sixth season of eligibility based on the pregnancy waiver. According to USA Today (link here), Butler argued that the NCAA’s pregnancy waiver, which allows female athletes a one-year extension of eligibility for “reasons of pregnancy,”

Hazing at Delaware raises more questions

Once again, photos of hazing by members of an intercollegiate athletic team have become the focus of a school investigation. According to an article in the Wilmington News Journal (link here), photos from an August 2005 party hosted by members of the University of Deleware men’s soccer team displayed shirtless freshman players wearing outfits resembling

NCAA works with Vegas bookies

“We’re on the same page as the NCAA,” said Robert Walker, sports book director at MGM Mirage. “The integrity of the game is paramount. Who’s going to bet if they think there’s anything wrong with it?” Rachel Newman-Baker of the NCAA told the media outlet: “I think we wouldn’t be reaching out to them if

Clemson cornerback awarded waiver to care for brother

When the paper originally published the story on August 19, many people contacted the paper and Clemson’s athletic department with offers of assistance. However, Clemson compliance director Stephanie Ellison stated the Atlantic Coast Conference initially told the school that McElrathbey was prohibited from receiving any sort of monetary assistance. Ellison said the only option was

Duke faculty propose faculty-coach pairing to improve understanding

That paper reported that Paul Haagen, head of Duke’s Academic Council and a law professor who teaches sports law, will propose the idea to the Academic Council on September 21. “Duke invests a lot in athletics,” Haagen said. “It’s probably a good idea if you know about athletics.” Kerstin Kimel, coach of the women’s lacrosse