UM Football Recruiting - by WM Wolverine

[WM Wolverine]

His mom has been a big M fan for its academics.

[Optimus Prime]

Is she returning to school?

[Mike]

LOL!

[Da Geezer]

Bama has to cut 8 players. Read at least the last paragraph of this article:

http://www.rollbamaroll.com/2014/1/27/5349996/2014-roster-lookahead-the-number-crunch

It is time for UM to start doing the same thing, or we can never be competative.

[Mike]

Or for the NCAA to level the playing field.

[WM Wolverine]

I put that article elsewhere and it's a huge peeve of mine for a number of reasons:

*Kids getting 'cut' and losing their scholarship for no reason other than not being as talented as a kid they just recruited when the kid, who when they were recruited were promised this would never happen to them.

*Competitive balance, the system favors those who are willing to be immoral and unethical. Those who don't practice such unethical behaviors are at a huge disadvantage to those that do.

[Mike]

Exactly, right.

This is a pretty informative site that tracks oversigning (mentioned at the end of the article).

http://oversigning.com/testing/

[WM Wolverine]

That site isn't being updated anymore but was very good. It shows why Florida, Georgia were bypassed by Bama, Auburn, LSU and the other USC in its own conference. The advantage it rewards for those who abuse the current rules is enormous.

[Da Geezer]

I agree with all above.

The easiest and cheapest way to stop the "cutting" of players is to raise the scholarship cap to 110 or 120. The 85 limit has proven to be too low since it has made "scholarship management" an important part of recruiting. I've posted elsewhere that the marginal cost TO THE UNIVERSITY of extra scholarships is close to zero.

As for the $ 500.00 handshake so common in the SEC and Big 12, about all you can do is make the athletes sign a statement each year that they have not received any cash. Penalty could be prohibition from playing football at any NCAA institution at any level.

I continue to believe that the scholarship athletes should receive some money as walking-around money. I'd support $ 1,500.00 per semester.

[WM Wolverine]

Any additional CFB scholarship(s) would require (Title IX) an additional women's scholarship. Women's scholarships are already maxed out in a lot of sports while you see mens sports giving out many partial scholarships...

I'd like to see it raised personally but don't see it happening.

[Da Geezer]

thanks WM, you always have to remind me of Title IX. That is what happens when the government messes with the free market.

I absolutely support the rise of women's sports (when I was in school girls could only be cheerleaders). Overall, it has been a good thing. But I suspect some lawyer could make the point that more for the men does not mean less for the women if the "more" is done under the rubric of stopping cheating. And that is why we favor more scholarships-too much cheating at the lower number.

[WM Wolverine]

When one sport (college football) pays for entire athletic departments, I don't think football scholarships need to be balanced with women's scholarships, but Title IX dictates they must. No way around it until CFB is no longer amateurs.

[SeattleLionsFan]

Da Geezer, when the limit is raised to 110 schollys teams like Bama would just have 118 kids on scholly.

[Da Geezer]

WM: How about the following: Classify football players as employees, pay them, and recognize their union. That takes them out of Title IX.

Seattle: I'll take my chances with that last 8 players realizing they will never see the field and leaving voluntarily. I have no problem with kids "cutting" themselves.

[SeattleLionsFan]

I do. Kids should not be made to leave or otherwise pressured to do so.