Look, nothing personal against Saban (though I have to admit I don't much care for him), but I think everyone agrees that oversigning is going to explode in the next few years if nothing is done about it.
http://www.bamasportsreport.com/2009/01/04/scholarship-numbers-january-4...
If it's this obvious to fans, of even their own schools, something needs done (despite the $$/greed drivers).
Stop the Insanity
Eventually, recruiters for
Eventually, recruiters for different schools will be able to point out that kids get kicked off the teams for freshmen. It'll help with the lower end recruits, but if a 5* is set on going to Bama, he's probably getting in no matter what.
In places like Troy, they have 40 signees but 20+ are 2*s that don't have offers to a lot of other FBS programs, They'll probably be able to reel in class after class like that with no repercussions unless the NCAA steps in.
Also, I would vote in favor
Also, I would vote in favor of starting up the Alabama vs. Michigan war again, that was fun last year.
Alabama is one of the few
Alabama is one of the few fanbases that takes football more seriously than Michigan's.
From the article:Alabama is
From the article:
Alabama is expected to sign at least 25, and maybe as many as the 32 that the Tide signed last season.
Here's a common-sense solution: actually enforce the limit of 25 players per class. No loopholes. No assigning early enrollees to the previous year's class. If a kid started 2008-09 in high school, declare him a 2009 recruit, period.
If the NCAA were to do this, there might still be some oversigning, but at least schools couldn't ever bring in more than 25 per year, and 50 per two years, unlike the 59-64(!) that Bama will end up signing in Saban's first two years.
what's wrong with moving
kids to another class if you're still under the 85 limit and you're not screwing people? That's not the problem here. The problem is signing too many kids to be able to keep under the 85 limit, this you are rooting for older kids to disappear. Either that, or you find bogus reasons to get rid of them and screw them out of an education, especially if they can't afford it to begin with. That's unethical.
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I look forward to the lawsuits
Really.
Where's Charlie Bauman when you need him?
I know there's always special circumstances (i.e. medical issues and/or transfers), but overall the solution here isn't rocket science.
You have 7 open spots... you sign 7 athletes.
Maybe you even give one extra spot in the event of the Boren or Bass every team has, and if the spot doesn't open as a result, someone is given the chance to grayshirt. It's absolutely ridiculous that these programs are doing this, and also kind of crazy that the parents aren't freaking out a bit.
Either way, this kind of stuff has to catch up the Saban's and Butch Davis's out there... doesn't it?