The Division I Recruiting and Athletics Personnel Issues Cabinet threw its support behind several proposals that could change the recruiting landscape for both prospective student-athletes and coaches, including one that would allow unlimited phone calls during contact periods.

Proposal No. 2009-32, sponsored by the Pacific-10 Conference, would permit unlimited calls to prospective student-athletes during a sport’s contact period. It is intended to alleviate the burden on compliance personnel and coaches to monitor the calls and keep up with changing rules.

While the current phone-call restrictions were originally put in place at least in part to limit the intrusion on the lives of prospective student-athletes, the cabinet members agreed with the Pac-10 that monitoring telephone calls is an increasingly difficult burden on compliance personnel. Coaches also have often found that prospective student-athletes prefer to communicate electronically (through e-mail). Though the cabinet acknowledged some concern about intrusion into the lives of prospects, the group agreed that coaches, prospects and their families could share the responsibility of setting parameters on contacts.

The cabinet also decided to support Proposal No. 2009-42, a Southeastern Conference proposal that would prohibit distribution of media guides to recruits. The cabinet had a discussion about media guides at the group’s June 2009 meeting, including a presentation from College Sports Information Directors Association Executive Director John Humenik.

The cabinet took no position on a competing proposal from the Pac-10, No. 2009-41, which would prohibit the production of printed media guides. The group decided that the elimination of media guides altogether was a decision that was outside its purview.

Sponsors have described both proposals as cost-containment proposals.

The cabinet also supported Proposal No. 2009-48, sponsored by the Southeastern Conference, which would limit to 28 the number of football prospective student-athletes in the Football Bowl Subdivision who may sign a National Letter of Intent or an institutional offer of financial aid from the first day of the signing day in February through May 31 and 2009-56, which originated with the Men’s Basketball Issues Committee and would require scouting services in all sports to provide specific services, such as dissemination of information at least quarterly, in order for coaches to subscribe to them.

The cabinet also opposed:

• 2009-31, which would, in football bowl subdivision, subject football assistant coaches designated as the next head coach to the same recruiting restrictions as a head coach
• 2009-45, which would move the first opportunity for an official visit in football to June prior to the prospective student-athlete’s senior year in high school because the cabinet believes there is adequate time for visits to occur during the prospect’s senior year in high school and prior to the signing date.
• 2009-10, which would require graduate assistants in the football bowl subdivision to have completed their degrees or exhausted their eligibility within the previous seven years because the cabinet will conduct its own study of graduate assistant coaches within the next year.

The cabinet also sponsored an alternative proposal to 2009-14, regarding the establishment of specific criteria by which an individual is permitted to serve as a manager. The original proposal requires baseball student-athletes to forfeit all athletics eligibility. The alternative will treat student-athletes in all sports the same. Member institutions will have the opportunity to consider both versions of the proposal.