SEC Commish talks Oversigning . . .
Mike Slive sounds like a real tool.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/19860/kicking-it-with-mike-slive
Excised the oversigny parts:
On the heels of national signing day, one of the hot topics right now is oversigning, and those in the Big Ten are screaming that the SEC has a huge advantage because many of the SEC teams oversign so many players. Where do you stand on the matter?
MS: It was two years ago that we took the initiative and put in an SEC rule that 28 was the most you could sign [in one class] and understanding that the rest of the country might not do that. The rest of the country followed suit and copied the SEC rule nationally and made it 28. Now, we’ve had a couple of years with the 28, and there are issues that relate to signing day. We’ve actually had an athletic director committee that’s been looking at all this for several months before all of the articles. We expect a recommendation from the committee that will come to our athletic directors this spring, and I fully expect legislation to be considered in Destin [at the SEC meetings] that will address some of the issues that have been raised.
Do you think we’ll essentially see the end to oversigning in the SEC with some of this new legislation, and will there be some real teeth in this new legislation?
MS: It’s a much more complex question than meets the eye. That’s not to say it isn’t one that needs to be addressed and resolved. Just like we did with the 28 limit, I’m pretty confident that we will take some initiative in Destin to try and deal with some of the issues that have been discussed. It’s complicated when you talk about the 25 you can get in in August and then counting some back and then counting some forward and then the issue of “grayshirting.” You also have more and more prospects enrolling for the spring instead of waiting for the fall. Our athletic directors are trying to take all of those pieces to the puzzle and see if there’s a way in which to address them that’s really fair to the student-athlete and fair to the institution.
Do you agree with Florida president Bernie Machen that “grayshirting” is a morally reprehensible practice?
MS: I think it’s a practice that on its face is one we’re going to address head-on. There’s a question that relates to notice and making sure that everybody knows exactly what’s going on. I think you will find that our ADs and our league will address the issue of “grayshirting.” Bernie has raised it. It’s definitely something that will be a part of whatever recommendations come from our athletic directors.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:07 PM ^
28*4=112 (Edit: busted out my big boy math skills and discovered that 112 is almost 132% of an allowable roster. This means 1/4 attrition not even counting fifth-year seniors.)
Doesn't seem all that hard. He also ducked the Big Ten part of the question completely.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:11 PM ^
Yes, you took the initiative to go to 28 per year, which still yields well over 85. And no, the rest of the country did not follow suit. The Big Ten has had the rule you cannot issue over 85 scholarships for quite some time. Mike Slive, you are an idiot.
February 9th, 2011 at 12:51 PM ^
Yes, but enforcing the rule is something else. South Carolina had 31 and Arkansas 30 in this year's class.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:13 PM ^
When will sites like Scout and Rivals address oversigning? They write about South Carolina and Arkansas signing 30+ players and say "well, they got a pretty good class derp", but don't even mention what a ridiculous number that is. They are the closest thing to a public bridge between college coaches and high school athletes, yet they have shown no care toward the issue. Those websites would seem to be in the best position to report on the matter.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:15 PM ^
What a bunch of non-answers.
All I learned from this is that I should have respect for Florida president Bernie Machen, and not so much for SEC commissioner Mike Slive.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:28 PM ^
Machen is signing Slive's cheques so it will be interesting to see how this plays out.
February 9th, 2011 at 10:35 AM ^
Yeah, but the presidents of all the schools in the SEC West are signing Slive's cheques as well
February 8th, 2011 at 8:18 PM ^
I translated the article to read " We are currently looking into doing jack shit about this for as long as the media and the NCAA will let us. Can you blame us? The advantage of signing a full class more than other conferences every four years has landed us in the title game almost every year. So our approach has been and will remain it's all about the money, fuck the kids...biatch."
February 8th, 2011 at 8:19 PM ^
I don't know, Florida and Georgia carry a ton of weight in the SEC. If at least Florida is serious, this should at least get some discussion.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:36 PM ^
I think you can adjust it to read we're doing jack shit until internal or external pressures force us to. The point about Florida and Georgia is a good one.
February 8th, 2011 at 8:47 PM ^
I guess 28 is progress from 37... If you ain't cheatin' you ain't tryin'.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:24 PM ^
oversignings are down over 24%!
February 8th, 2011 at 8:54 PM ^
Teams should be required to abide by the 85-scholarship limit in order to participate in spring ball. The list of 85 would include signees. Under this proposal, teams would no longer have 6-7 months to shed "extra" players. It'd be a lot tougher to boot off a bunch of guys in a much more limited timeframe before spring ball (and since spring practice wouldn't have happened yet, coaches would have less of an idea of who is prepared to contribute in the fall).
February 8th, 2011 at 11:43 PM ^
Or you could just abide by the 85 scholarship limit, period. That seems fair.
I'm actually okay with grayshirting--if it's disclosed right away. There's no harm asking people to essentially walk on, but the scholarship has to be there the next year. I just want the schools to be as accountable as the athletes are.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:03 PM ^
We have a rule. No one in our league follows it, no one in our league cares....
February 8th, 2011 at 9:04 PM ^
I think it’s a practice that on its face is one we’re going to address head-on. There’s a question that relates to notice and making sure that everybody knows exactly what’s going on. I think you will find that our ADs and our league will address the issue of “grayshirting.” Bernie has raised it. It’s definitely something that will be a part of whatever recommendations come from our athletic directors.
So... translated.
I am SO full of bullshit that I'm not sure I could actually say anything that has actual meaning anymore.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:16 PM ^
So why do Arkansas and South Carolina have 30 and 31 recruits?
February 8th, 2011 at 9:42 PM ^
Because players who enroll early can count back as a part of last years class. Also, a lot of the kids they "sign" never "qualify" or some other bogus reason. Meaning they sign a 3 star, late in the process get a 4 star, and now the 3 star won't qualify academically all of a sudden right before school starts...magic.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:22 PM ^
We're the SEC....Gray shirting one potential recruit each year ... " We get it done".
February 9th, 2011 at 12:28 AM ^
Amateur collegiate athletics my ass. This commisioner talks like a businessman justifying dumping industrial waste or cigarettes or something.
February 9th, 2011 at 6:45 AM ^
February 9th, 2011 at 8:09 AM ^
when they would not be going to a very good bowl anyway, but refutes the scholarship limitations?
I hope they get bombed into the stone age.
February 9th, 2011 at 8:01 AM ^
basically said to go to hell, complainers since we don't understand the issue. Things won't change, the writers and fans will get tired of the same subject and move on. Solid strategy.
February 9th, 2011 at 12:07 PM ^
Yeah, but it only works as long as people actually move on. I hate to say it, but this might be an issue where SEC fans penchant for being obnoxious might work against them. The more they crow about how their conference is so amazing, the more everyone else gets pissed off and points to oversigning as being part of an unfair playing field. It feels like this issue is starting to gain enough traction to force something more than a cosmetic change.