Coaches Ask NCAA to Delay Recruiting
The College Swimming and Diving Coaches Association (CSCAA) is calling on the NCAA to limit recruiting in the upcoming year. In a letter to members of the NCAA’s Student-Athlete Experience Committee (SAEC) and Division I Council Coordination Committee (CCC), the association requested an extension of the current recruiting dead period until December and a prohibition on on-campus visits through March of 2021.
CSCAA Executive Director Greg Earhart explained that doing so would provide a measure of certainty to coaches, prospective student-athletes (PSA’s), and their parents during an unsettling time. The cancellation of college entrance exams and lack of Spring and Summer seasons coupled with the expansion of recruiting into swimmers and divers juniors years have placed coaches and PSA's in the difficult position of trying to figure out where they fit academically and athletically. "Taking this step would remove pressure, provide PSAs time to train and compete, and allow coaches some breathing room to address more pressing needs."
Specifically, the CSCAA cited three concerns:
Student-Athlete Health and Safety - Absent a vaccine, effective testing, and contact-tracing, on-campus visits are far too great of a risk to take during the season. Placing current student-athletes at risk of infection is simply irresponsible. By postponing visits, institutions can minimize this risk and enable programs to complete the 2020-21 season.
Cost - Eliminating Fall visits would produce immediate and significant savings for programs that are currently wrestling with significant losses in revenue. To date, Division I coaches have already trimmed a collective $6.2 million from their budgets.
Competitive Balance - Coaches are adamant in their desire for the consistent application of recruiting restrictions throughout. With states and campuses reopening in different stages and under widely varying levels of restriction this would provide a more level playing field.
Over the past three months, the NCAA has moved rapidly to institute and extend a recruiting dead period while also easing up restrictions on online recruitment. The changes, according to University of Utah Head Coach and CSCAA President, Joe Dykstra, have been welcome. "We appreciate the NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee’s quick response and flexibility to a rapidly-changing environment. At the same time, both coaches and PSA’s find themselves living month-to-month and this would provide everyone an opportunity to enter the recruiting process in an educated way."