NCAA recruiting rules will limit access in summer recruiting

by:TJ Walker•12/12/18

Remember those new NCAA recruiting rules that were released in August? More access for college coaches while trying to squeeze out AAU/shoe company influence in recruiting (among other points of emphasis). Well, college and high school coaches learned about a new caveat on Wednesday. The long and short of the rule is that the NCAA added two weekends in June for college coaches to watch recruits. More access = seeing more recruits and more evaluations. Not a bad idea from the NCAA and everyone seemed on board. But we learned today that the NCAA will only allow coaches to watch recruits that play within the National Federation of State High School Associations, which recognizes just one basketball association in every state. For example, the NFHS recognizes the KHSAA as "the" basketball organization in Kentucky. You may remember earlier this year Aspire Academy in Louisville was desperately trying to be admitted by the KHSAA. They said they wouldn't compete for state championships, but being an NFHS school has benefits. As of right now it means UK couldn't watch schools like La Lumiere, Paul VI (Virginia), Oak Hill Academy and several other top prep schools in the country in June. UK has recruited all those schools and several more during the John Calipari era. Here's a statement from the NFHS via the NCAA to ESPN:

"At the NCAA's request, the NFHS was asked to develop criteria for the June Scholastic Basketball Evaluation Events -- both with regard to hosting the events in education-based settings and parameters for participation in the events," the statement said. "With the task of bringing recruiting back into the scholastic environment, the criteria were developed by a subcommittee of NFHS-member state association representatives and NFHS staff members with input from the National High School Basketball Coaches Association (NHSBCA).

"In keeping with the NFHS' model of its sanctioning program, this subcommittee determined that these events would be limited to individuals and schools from NFHS member state associations. Other opportunities continue to exist in July for those individuals and schools outside NFHS member associations."

Eh, I can't imagine this stands come June. I get the NCAA wanting to try and have control and thinking that certified NFHS schools won't be as "shady" but plenty of non-NFHS schools have college-level players and several are five-star type talents. Coaches are going to want to watch these players so I can't imagine this holding up when the summer evaluation period arrives.

Read ESPN's story HERE.