So that "commitment" is no longer a term of art or a word awaiting content, I would like to propose the following:
The word commitment is robbed of all meaning, and puts coaches at a tremendous disadvantage.
I think this might be a way to preserve the power of the athletes, but also somewhat empower the schools – if knowledge is, in fact, power.
I can think of a number of reasons why such a system should be in place, but none why against it. All I know it is, the current system is unsatisfactory and I believe there has to be a better way.
Thoughts?
- Along with their registration with the NCAA clearinghouse, athletes are given a "committed" option on that site or a recruiting page.
- When an athlete is ready to "commit" to a school (for example, maybe the athlete no longer wants to be bothered by phone calls and texts), he goes to his NCAA page and clicks the "committed" button.
- By doing that the athlete, who is in complete control, effectively ends all communication from other schools to the athlete.
- Schools have access to the pages and can see which students are or are not committed.
- Students, of course, are free to contact schools as they wish. The NCAA has no control over that.
- Schools, however, are not allowed to contact, or have ANY communication with "committed" athletes, regardless of who initiates said communication.
- If a student wishes to open his or her recruitment, that is, to end his commitment, the student athlete simply goes to his NCAA clearinghouse page on clicks the "committed" button immediately changing his status to "uncommitted."
- By unclicking the committed button, the athlete automatically sends a text and an email to the school formally depending upon that athletes commitment, notifying the school of the change.
- The school is given notice and immediately knows where it stands or does not as the case may be.
- Schools that communicate with athletes who are committed elsewhere should be considered guilty of a major recruiting infraction.
The word commitment is robbed of all meaning, and puts coaches at a tremendous disadvantage.
I think this might be a way to preserve the power of the athletes, but also somewhat empower the schools – if knowledge is, in fact, power.
I can think of a number of reasons why such a system should be in place, but none why against it. All I know it is, the current system is unsatisfactory and I believe there has to be a better way.
Thoughts?
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