It's everywhere I look these days...come August no more text messaging between coaches and high schoolers. Once again, IMHO, the NCAA has managed to create more problems than they solve by addressing the symptom instead of the root issue. An across-the board rule like this is asinine. For football and the basketballs, something did have to be done. Coaches are inundating kids with sheer volume of text messaging at the expense of the kids and late at night, during classes, etc... I dont know many soccer coaches that text kids daily or hourly. Mostly, due to the earlier and earlier commitments, it is the only practical tool coaches can use to set up unofficial visits, and communicate with kids they have offered money to. If the NCAA wanted to stop this, eliminate verbal commitments or financial offers until the kids are seniors. A lot of text messaging would stop. I didn't see the problem with text messaging in soccer, has anyone else had a negative issue with it? This rule now puts control/communication back to the club coaches, as college coaches will have to go thru them to get to the kids. That's so fun! Who better to have more control than club coaches???? And, lets be honest, the big schools are going to continue to cheat and text message kids. UCLA, altho I love 'em, has already been merely glancing sideways at many of the rules, and I know Santa Clara considers the rules an annoyance. What wil the NCAA do to them? Nothing. There is no way to track this rule and no kid will get a text message from Jerry Smith and then go call the NCAA and turn them in and ruin their chance of going to a top 10 school. So the rich will still get richer, communicating with kids how they please to secure early commitments and the smaller schools will, once again, be at a disadvantage. It's so fun how the NCAA thinks on these things.
There's a thread discussing this topic in the Men's College Forum. Texting is not the only change. They're now set to allow college athletes to try out for professional teams while still taking classes.
The student-athletes spoke and the powers that be listened. I think it is a good move. Soccer coaches cheat and abuse too. Sad but true.
I think you have it backwards. It's the coaches who wanted this rule. Texting is a generational thing. Kids love to do it. Anyone past their mid-twenties doesn't. Some coaches get inundated with text messages from recruits who expect them to drop everything and respond. Now they have an excuse.
Rook has it right, it was the PSAs who complained--especially in football and basketball. Most coaches would prefer to have texting back.