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Thursday, May 29, 2008
SEC coaches vote for early signing day
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A few things worth noting here at the SEC Spring Meetings:
1. Coaches vote on early signing period: The idea of an early signing period for football, probably in late November, keeps being discussed at these meetings. The idea is to provide an opportunity for guys to sign after their senior season instead of having to wait until the national signing date, which is the first Wednesday in February. The coaches voted 9-3 in favor of a proposal that would allow schools to sign players for one day on the Monday before Dec. 1.
The rationale for the rule is that more and more players are committing early and would like to sign and avoid the final six weeks of recruiting. It would take pressure off coaches if they didn’t have to sign their entire class on one day.
Urban Meyer is against it. “Kids are being pressured too early as it is,” Meyer said. “We should be taking more time, not less time, to evaluate these guys.”
Nick Saban is for it. “I just think we spend too much time and money babysitting guys who have already committed to us who want to sign. Let those guys sign and let’s spend our time and money recruiting the ones who have not made a decision.”
Phillip Fulmer said he could be talked into it. “I’m coming around to the idea. If there was a way to let the guys sign early and get them off the board, it would simplify the final weeks of recruiting.”
Bobby Petrino of Arkansas is against it: “I just don’t think it helps a school like Arkansas. We got here in December and were able to change some minds of some young men in our state. Had there been an early signing period those kids might have been already signed. I just don’t think it’s a fit for us.”
The idea still has to be approved by the league’s athletics directors and sent to the NCAA in the form of proposed legislation. The odds are still very much against it.
2. The Prez asks about Stafford: Georgia coach Mark Richt met with President George W. Bush on Monday when he returned from the Middle East. Now the president is a baseball man who formerly owned the Texas Rangers. But he is also a proud Texan. So he asked Richt about his quarterback, Matt Stafford, a native of Dallas.
“The President wanted to know how we were able to get a quarterback out of Highland Park High School. “I just told him that we were happy to have Matt on our side.”
3. Tuberville’s Lucky Seven: Only in the state of Alabama could this be an issue.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was with Richt in the Middle East and on their last night they joined forces to coach a flag football game among the troops. When Tuberville’s team won 14-12 the players lifted the coaches on their shoulders. At the encouragement of the soldiers, many of whom were SEC fans, Tuberville lifted seven fingers in the air.
The news and photos of the gesture quickly made it to the other side of the world. Needless to say, the reference did not go unnoticed in Tuscaloosa. Auburn has won six straight games against Alabama and Tuberville, one of the better PR coaches around, has gigged the Crimson Tide faithful after each game by holding up the appropriate amount of fingers. After the streak got to four, Tuberville actually has some “Fear The Thumb” T-shirts printed.
Think that photo won’t come up in November when Auburn will be going for its seventh straight win over Alabama?
“Shoot, we were just having fun,” Tuberville said.
In case you’re making plans, that game is Nov. 29 in Tuscaloosa.
4. Will there be five years of eligibility? The Big 12 is sponsoring legislation to give football players five years of eligibility. That would eliminate red shirting, where players simply sit out their freshmen season and then get to play four years.
“It makes sense because there are guys that you hold back who could help you at least on the special teams,” Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said. “You could also use those guys when you get to November and your team is starting to get banged up.”
The odds of passage, however, are slim because college presidents are hesitant to make an eligibility rule that applies to only one sport. And there is reason to believe that if players received five years of eligibility, the coaches would eventually ask for an increase of their current 85 scholarships. That won’t happen.
Florida coach Urban Meyer had a different take on this issue.
“I’m not sure it really helps a school like Florida because most of the guys we bring in we plan to play right away,” he said. “We don’t always do it but that’s the plan. The athlete at this level is rarely going to stick around for five years.”
5. Some early SEC TV: We’ll probably get an announcement today or tomorrow but here are four games that you can probably mark on your calendars right now.
Sept. 13: Georgia at South Carolina, CBS Sept. 20: Florida at Tennessee, CBS Sept. 20: LSU at Auburn, ESPN Nov. 1: Georgia vs. Florida (Jacksonville), CBS.
Also, don’t be surprised if CBS does a double header on Oct. 11 with Florida-LSU in Gainesville and Georgia-Tennessee in Athens.
