The topic of recruitment for college sports is something that actually has been a part of my life. While I was personally very lightly recruited for track by some Division III schools, some of my best friends were heavily recruited for Division I sports. It always kind of interested me, watching as my coach would hand out multiple letters from many different colleges to my teammates, and even more interesting how most of the time these teammates, my friends, would turn around and throw out the majority of the letters.  It always spiked my curiosity as to what the point of sending letters was, since if they wanted an athlete so badly they could just call them or have them visit. It turns out these letters were really just the tip of the ice berg in the whole recruitment scheme, and there was actually a whole lot more being done than just a few letters being delivered.

Now that I'm in college at a big name SEC football school I have interest in recruitment for a different reason. I enjoy looking at how our football program, as well as other sports, goes about picking up the best high school athletes in the nation. However, I am aware that there is a recruiting rulebook that has to be followed or else there is punishment inflicted on the programs by the NCAA. These rules surrounding recruitment are extremely dense and complicated, which makes this recruiting scheme unnecessarily difficult for the players and the coaches. It is ruining the process for everyone involved, with rules that are too complicated and hard to follow, resulting in unnecessary violations and therefore punishments.

It is becoming more and more evident to the rule writers themselves, the NCAA, that there is in fact need for change. In their article, "NCAA takes first steps to simplify, deregulate complex rule book", it is stated that an overdue proposal for deregulation of many rules was passed. In fact, 25 of 26 proposals made were passed by the board, "in what is considered the most sweeping deregulation of the organization's rulebook at a single time" (Associated Press par 3). This article confronts both the fact that the rules surrounding recruiting are overdone, as well as that steps need to be taken to make it easier and more practical. As said in the article, there are some rules that are outright unenforceable, and some of the deregulating proposals help to eliminate these sort of things. As this article is by the Associated Press, found inside the NCAA website, it is needless to say that is from a reliable source pertaining to the topic.

For someone who doesn't necessarily understand the importance of regulating or deregulating the rule book, it is best to look at the issue from a player's point of view. Myron Medcalf's article, "New NCAA Rules: Player Perspective", centers around the lives of younger high school players and demonstrates how the rules set by the NCAA actually do have a large impact on their young lives. The article goes as far as to explain what the kids' parents have to do to control the amount of college recruitment information being thrown at their 15-year-old sons and daughters. In this way, it is arguing that the rules aren't actually tight enough as they put too much pressure on the high school athletes. This article was written by Medcalf, an ESPN staff writer, who has years of experience and awards behind him, earning his credibility on the topic.

The recruiting guidelines are a beast to handle, needless to say. As if it isn't enough for high school students, it can be seen as even more intense for junior college recruits. While many of the same rules do apply to these athletes, some are actually harsher. In "New Rules Spark Debates in JC Ranks", some new rules, not deregulatory ones, are explored with their repercussions. This article discusses the debate surrounding the 2.5 GPA requirement for junior college recruits, half a grade point higher than high school recruits. Whether or not this is fair is a huge issue discussed. Written by Jeremy Crabtree, a senior coordinator with over a decade of experience in the field, this article has both facts and opinion, stemming from a credible source.

This apparently never ending debate about the rules has strong arguments on both ends. On one hand there should be a high regulation of what schools can do to recruit student athletes, so that there is fair opportunity for every school and not too much strain on these high school or junior college students. On the other hand, too many rules mean that there are unenforceable rules, not to mention larger schools should be able to use what they have to attract new student athletes. Both sides I have read seem to acknowledge the other, but neither seems to quite have the perfect compromise on making a manageable, enforceable, equal set of rules, a difficult task to accomplish for sure. In my opinion, along with those of many, deregulation is the course of action, as the way the rules are now are just unfair for the programs and coaches doing the recruiting.

