It appears that Kirby Smart can table his plans to hold satellite recruiting camps. He also doesn’t have to worry about Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh holding camps nearby, it also appears.
The NCAA effectively outlawed satellite camps, at least according to this reading of a statement buried in an announcement Friday on measures adopted by the governing body. The NCAA's release states:
"The Council approved a proposal applicable to the Football Bowl Subdivision that would require those schools to conduct camps and clinics at their school's facilities or at facilities regularly used for practice or competition. Additionally, FBS coaches and noncoaching staff members with responsibilities specific to football may be employed only at their school's camps or clinics. This rule change is effective immediately."
The ruling is a victory for the SEC, which was annoyed by coaches in other conferences holding the camps in their territory, while the SEC had a self-imposed rule against its coaches being able to do so. At last year’s SEC meetings in Destin, new commissioner Greg Sankey said his conference would lobby the NCAA to outlaw camps, but if it didn’t, the SEC would end its rule and allow its coaches to hold the camps.
Smart had a plan to do so, he said earlier this week, without specifying where they planned to go.
“We’ve got a plan ready,” Smart said. “You’ll see soon enough.”
Apparently not, as it turns out. And Harbaugh and Meyer's plans to hold satellite camps in Georgia this summer appear to be off.. Harbaugh announced plans two weeks ago for a camp on June 2 at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood. Then word came out Thursday that Meyer would hold a camp on June 16 at Central Gwinnett High School in Lawrenceville, less than an hour from Athens.
Smart was not a proponent of satellite camps, saying in February that “the NCAA in due time will have to step in.”
“There’s a lot of factors that people don’t think about in that deal,” Smart said at the time. “You’ve gotta think about recruiting rules, how are they going to handle those, is it an advantage, disadvantage? Are they gonna let other coaches come to it, are they gonna hold open practices? Do we all come in there and watch them and scout them? If they’re all open practices why don’t we go and watch them. It’s a Pandora’s Box of what it’s going to get into, obviously.”
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