National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Opinions
The NCAA News
Claire Bordley, women’s lacrosse player
University of Virginia
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“I would change the recent trend for coaches to put pressure on recruits to commit to their school early in their junior year. I think there should be some type of rule that restricts kids from committing too early on in their high school career, so that way they would be able to explore all of their college options.”
Arrelious Benn, football student-athlete
University of Illinois, Champaign
The Washington Post
“That’s when (recruiting) got worse (after verbally committing to Illinois). These are grown men. Why can’t they live with the decision I made?”
Randy Edsall, head football coach
University of Connecticut
The Washington Post
“Once a kid gives you a verbal commitment, you can’t relax and stop recruiting. If you do, someone will say, ‘When was the last time you heard from that school?’ Then they come in and start recruiting him.”
Lamar Milstead, football recruit
Ballou High School (District of Columbia)
The Washington Post
“I figured I’d get this over with, catch up on my (school) work and then get back to the recruiting later. I wasn’t entirely sure about (his verbal commitment) but I wasn’t going to tell (the school) that. Just like they told me what I wanted to hear, I told them what they wanted to hear. It’s just to get them off your back. You want the whole pursuing thing to stop. You just want to be the one to make the decision.”
Allen Wallace, national recruiting editor
Scout.com
The Washington Post
“When we find out a kid’s orally committed, one of the first things I ask is, ‘What are the percentages that the kid is going to follow through?’ I ask if he’s going to take any more visits or accept calls.
“Some of them treat their commitment as a fall-back position, like, ‘At least, I’ll have somewhere to go.’ ”
Todd McNair, running backs coach
University of Southern California
Los Angeles Times
“It’s like marriage. Until they walk down that aisle and say, ‘I do,’ you stay after it.”
Steve Pederson, director of athletics
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
The Oregonian
“We wouldn’t be having this discussion if student-athletes committed to schools and then were left alone to go about their business. Generally, when a kid changes his mind, it’s not because he called the school and expressed interest. The schools keep recruiting the kids.”
Bill McGregor, head football coach
DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland)
The Washington Post
“I’m in favor of an early signing period. That would stop all the nonsense.”
Myles Wade, football recruit
Portland (Oregon) Central Catholic High School
The Oregonian
“If you’re going to commit early, just be prepared to be tempted and persuaded by coaches to change your commitment. It’s all part of the game.”
University of Hartford
Hartford Courant
“It’s sobering that the world has come to this. On the one hand, I think schools should reasonably assure themselves that the student-athletes they’re admitting do not have criminal records, or if they do have criminal records, that they’ve disclosed them. Of course people make mistakes and that’s what the criminal justice system is for. Lots of young people have made mistakes and corrected them and gone on to live very productive lives. So I presume the real issue is whether somebody hasn’t disclosed a criminal past.
“On the other hand, part of me says that I don’t know why you would treat student-athletes differently than all students. I don’t know any university that does background checks on all the students they admit, so what’s the difference? I suppose the difference is that student-athletes are more visible, but I’m not sure that’s enough justification.”
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The NCAA News
Recruiting
Claire Bordley, women’s lacrosse player
University of Virginia
The Chronicle of Higher Education
“I would change the recent trend for coaches to put pressure on recruits to commit to their school early in their junior year. I think there should be some type of rule that restricts kids from committing too early on in their high school career, so that way they would be able to explore all of their college options.”
Arrelious Benn, football student-athlete
University of Illinois, Champaign
The Washington Post
“That’s when (recruiting) got worse (after verbally committing to Illinois). These are grown men. Why can’t they live with the decision I made?”
Randy Edsall, head football coach
University of Connecticut
The Washington Post
“Once a kid gives you a verbal commitment, you can’t relax and stop recruiting. If you do, someone will say, ‘When was the last time you heard from that school?’ Then they come in and start recruiting him.”
Lamar Milstead, football recruit
Ballou High School (District of Columbia)
The Washington Post
“I figured I’d get this over with, catch up on my (school) work and then get back to the recruiting later. I wasn’t entirely sure about (his verbal commitment) but I wasn’t going to tell (the school) that. Just like they told me what I wanted to hear, I told them what they wanted to hear. It’s just to get them off your back. You want the whole pursuing thing to stop. You just want to be the one to make the decision.”
Allen Wallace, national recruiting editor
Scout.com
The Washington Post
“When we find out a kid’s orally committed, one of the first things I ask is, ‘What are the percentages that the kid is going to follow through?’ I ask if he’s going to take any more visits or accept calls.
“Some of them treat their commitment as a fall-back position, like, ‘At least, I’ll have somewhere to go.’ ”
Todd McNair, running backs coach
University of Southern California
Los Angeles Times
“It’s like marriage. Until they walk down that aisle and say, ‘I do,’ you stay after it.”
Steve Pederson, director of athletics
University of Nebraska, Lincoln
The Oregonian
“We wouldn’t be having this discussion if student-athletes committed to schools and then were left alone to go about their business. Generally, when a kid changes his mind, it’s not because he called the school and expressed interest. The schools keep recruiting the kids.”
Bill McGregor, head football coach
DeMatha Catholic High School (Maryland)
The Washington Post
“I’m in favor of an early signing period. That would stop all the nonsense.”
Myles Wade, football recruit
Portland (Oregon) Central Catholic High School
The Oregonian
“If you’re going to commit early, just be prepared to be tempted and persuaded by coaches to change your commitment. It’s all part of the game.”
Background checks
Walter Harrison, presidentUniversity of Hartford
Hartford Courant
“It’s sobering that the world has come to this. On the one hand, I think schools should reasonably assure themselves that the student-athletes they’re admitting do not have criminal records, or if they do have criminal records, that they’ve disclosed them. Of course people make mistakes and that’s what the criminal justice system is for. Lots of young people have made mistakes and corrected them and gone on to live very productive lives. So I presume the real issue is whether somebody hasn’t disclosed a criminal past.
“On the other hand, part of me says that I don’t know why you would treat student-athletes differently than all students. I don’t know any university that does background checks on all the students they admit, so what’s the difference? I suppose the difference is that student-athletes are more visible, but I’m not sure that’s enough justification.”
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