University of Oklahoma Athletics
Compliance Corner: January 2014
January 24, 2014 | Athletics
Following a survey of football coaches and student-athletes by the NCAA, it was apparent that changes were needed to advance intercollegiate football.
The NCAA Board of Directors recently passed legislation to make significant changes in football. The new rules:
• Allow football athletes to participate in preparation for the season during an eight-week period each summer. Summer workouts used be voluntary activities for the athletes. Now those weeks can include eight hours per week of required weight training and conditioning. Up to two of the eight hours can consist of film review. Student-athletes must be enrolled in summer school or meet academic benchmarks to participate in summer workouts.
• Prohibit football coaches from attending an all-star game or activities associated with those games and from having recruiting contact with recruits participating in the games from the time the recruit arrives at the event until he returns home.
• Establish a new dead period wherein no on- or off-campus recruiting can take place. The dead period will coincide with winter holidays, bowl games and the Football Coaches Association convention. It begins the Monday of the week junior college athletes can sign their letters of intent and will end the Wednesday of the week of the convention.
• Allow schools to pay for meals for up to four family members who accompany a recruit on an official visit. Prior to the adoption of this legislation, we could only pay for the recruit and his parents or legal guardians; others were required to pay for their own meals. This provides schools much more flexibility with regard to official visit meals.
These rule changes were made in an effort to promote a healthy recruiting environment and will help to protect the integrity of the recruiting process. We expect additional recruiting changes in football in the near future and will keep you posted of any future changes.
If you have any questions regarding the recruiting process or NCAA regulations, please contact the OU Athletics Compliance office at (405) 325-7004 or by email at athleticscompliance@ou.edu.
