From the NCAA website, potentially big changes in the way D1 baseball operates.

The presidential bodies in all three NCAA divisions met April 26. The Division I Board of Directors voted to ban text-messaging between coaches and recruits and approved a package of recommendations designed to enhance the academic performance of baseball student-athletes. This takes effect August 1, 2007.

Here is the link to the package of recommendations that was approved.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/news...on+proposed+for+baseball+-+03-12-07+NCAA+News

The way I read this is that this package significantly changes the financial aid structure for baseball student-athletes playing D1 baseball as you will have 11.7 scholarships with a min of 33% grant per player receiving aid and a max of 27 receiving grants and a max of 35 on the team. Very different from today with 11.7 grants and no min aid and no max of players.

It also requires academic certification for those student-athletes in the fall term to be eligible to participate in the spring term.

It will also reduce transfers as the legislation requires all transfers from 4 year schools to serve a year in residence before they can participate with the team in games.

This most likely means fewer recruiting classes of 16-20 players with what amounts to a fall tryout with grants in the amount of $250 at some of the large state supported schools and may mean some big changes in the way the schools recruit because if you run one of your 27 counters off, it counts against the school and that player may not be replaced the next season. Also means that the 8 walkon spots can be let go of the team without recourse so you better be certain that is a school you want to attend - not just play baseball because I can see these slots being rotated through on a fairly frequent basis. It may also mean that more of the real stud players go pro out of HS because there may not be as much money for them. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

There are changes to D2 and D3 as well but those do not seem as pronounced and will most likely not make as large of an impact as those at the D1 level.

 

How do you see this affecting walk ons ?

 

Football drove this, at least the part about text messaging. I met with some of the ACC guys on this and a couple of ACC coaching staffs. The next thing that will be addressed is the My Space network contacts. Too many coaches making too many contacts. Text messaging ran up the kids bills. I'll be curious to see how they address the My Space issue. I don't know how they would police that. The biggest problem is alumni contacting recruits and making illegal contact through kids My Space page. I don't know if this is a big problem in baseball but it is in football and basketball.

 

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't this mean that existing scholarship players that are now under the 33% would have to get bumped up to that level next season or not have their scholly renewed?

 

I have no idea on that and I am not qualified to answer. Maybe some of the coaches on here can enlighten us. I would think there would be a grace period to phase it in. I have an ACC coach that I can call but he's tough to catch on a Friday with the weekend series coming up. I don't bother him late in the week. I am only familiar with the text messaging and MY Space issues.

 

The way I see it affects recruited walkons at D1 schools is that you should be sure there is a need for you on the team and you have some guarantees from the coaches. This current season there are no roster limitations so they can keep as many players as they have uniforms for or the school can pretty much run anyone (scholarship or non-scholarship) off without it impacting them, as long as the player leaves in good academic standing. The new rule was instituted by the NCAA to keep down transfers from 4 year schools and to keep schools from running off scholarship players. The way I see it, is that changes somewhat next season, beginning August 1, because if the player gets academic money, it can count against the school in various ways if the NCAA feels the player has been run off. At a certain point the NCAA will penalize the school by a reduction of scholarships or games played. However, if the player doesn’t get athletic money they can lose their roster spot without recourse to the school. I can envision those non grant spots, with the new limit of 35 players, now being used as tryout spots at many D1 schools. If you aren’t a good enough fit to get money the next season, I can easily see them releasing a walkon after one year or even after fall workouts and giving someone else a tryout. I would just should be sure there is a solid fit or that you are really good enough before you walk on.

 

I'm not an expert and am not sure if there is a phase in period to get up to the 33% level, but the way I read it is that after August 1, if the school does not renew the scholarship of a player that receives athletic $$$$ and the NCAA feels this was done simply to get rid of the player, that will count points against the school. At a certain level of points, the school will be penalized with a loss of scholarship $ or games played or a combination thereof. This means schools will need to be more selective in their recruiting. However, I feel that certain coaches will just try to make it miserable so the player won't come back. That can work in football with the huge numbers of players but if you try that in baseball with 25% the number of players and the closeness of the baseball community, that word will spread quickly and should impact the coach and his program.