On Friday, the NCAA approved a set of comprehensive recruiting changes altering how many camps programs can hold, when they they can hold those camps, where they can hold those camps and who they can hire to work them.
However, in typical NCAA fashion, the announcement was baked in legalese and inspired as many questions as answers. In an effort to answer questions sent to us by a number of coaches, we've broken out the new rules Q&A style.
Q: So the early signing period is good to go now, right?
A: Not quite. The National Letter of Intent program is run by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which won't meet again until June. Nothing is official until then, but the CCA would have to defy the ADs they represent in order to stop an early signing period.
Q: Are satellite camps outlawed?
A: No.
Q: So Harbaugh can tour across the country again?
A: No.
Q: So what's the rule then?
A: Schools can still participate in so-called satellite camps -- joining in with other schools to hold conduct a camp away from their own campus -- as long as it takes place at a college campus or game facility. So Penn State could join in on a USC camp at the Los Angeles Coliseum, but it couldn't join in on a camp at Mater Dei High School. The NCAA rightly recognized the value in letting every player in Ohio attend Ohio State's camp, rather than hitting Ohio State and Cincinnati and Kent State and Bowling Green and... you get the point.
Q: When can we hold these camps?
A: Over a 10-day of the school's choosing in June and July. The important point to remember here is that the days no longer have to be consecutive. So whereas the old rules allowed for two periods of 15 consecutive days, programs can now pick and choose which 10 days make the most sense.
Q: What about working a camp at a college facility that's run by a third party?
A: Coaches are allowed only to work camps run by NCAA 4-year institutions.
Q: Can we hire high school coaches to work camps?
A: No. As part of the IAWP rule, programs are prohibited from hiring high school coaches -- "individuals associated with prospects" -- from working camps as a means to keep 7-on-7 coaches and various "uncles" from getting paid for taking kids to camp.
Q: Speaking of the IAWP rule, does that include GAs?
A: Graduate assistants are considered countable coaches, so programs would still be allowed to hire a high school coach as a GA and recruit from his high school. But all other jobs -- interns, QCs and the like -- fall under the new rule.
Q: What about junior college coaches? Are they considered IAWPs?
A: Yes. Junior college coaches are considered the same as high school coaches, 7-on-7 coaches, etc., and therefore essentially ineligible for employment at schools who recruit their players.
Q: What else do we need to know?
A: The NCAA is now officially designating camps as recruiting events, which means the organization is no longer policing the impossible-to-track rule prohibiting coaches from talking recruiting with players they brought to camp to recruit.
What else do you want to know? Hit us up @Zach_Barnett.