NCAA passes recruiting rules changes, upholds new texting rules

The NCAA proposed 25 rules changes in January, and it turns out 23 of them are here to stay. 

Missing the cut were the rule removing the limits on "who can perform recruiting tasks and what printed materials can be sent to prospects." In other words, SIDs can now breath a sigh of relief as they are no longer at risk of being pulled into cold calling recruits, and Fathead will not be delivering 17 different prints to the same recruit's house. 

Most important is what the NCAA did not cut. The divisive texting rules are here to stay, at least for now. The rule is still subject to the NCAA's override process, which 48 schools have requested to this point. As a point of reference, 66 schools requsted an override on the rule removing the limits on who can perform recruiting tasks, and 70 schools requested an override on the so-called "Fathead" rule.

As for the text messaging rule, the NCAA has stopped trying to enforce an unenforcable rule. Head coaches and assistant coaches are now free to text themselves into early onset carpal tunnel syndrome, but only head coaches and assistant coaches. 

See the NCAA's rationale here: "Before making its decision, the Board discussed that football coaches are currently permitted to make an unlimited number of telephone calls to prospects during the fall contact period, which runs from late November until the Saturday prior to the National Letter of Intent signing day in February. Given this, the practical impact of RWG-13-3 will be to permit unlimited calls for only a few additional months."

Read the NCAA's full release here.