Everyone has been doing their best to play nice in the sandbox as administrators across college sports do their best to drive the car without headlights or a GPS system, but there have been a few moments when some folks let their frustrations show. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey couldn't hide his frustration when the NCAA made its (in hindsight, correct) decision to cancel the College World Series along with March Madness earlier this month.
And in a radio interview last week, Lincoln Riley audibly griped that the Big 12 hadn't let its coaches hold virtual meetings with their players.
“Our conference has been more stringent on it,” Riley said in a radio interview with KREF on Thursday (according to a Norman Transcript report. “So that hasn’t been a positive in that it hasn’t really been an equal playing field.”
The SEC on Friday announced its coaches will be allowed to hold team and individual meetings starting Monday, and on Sunday evening the Big 12 did the same. Much like the SEC, Big 12 coaches can't watch their players go through workouts or drills, and all meetings must be limited to no more than two hours per week.
Here's the official verbiage:
All “virtual” group activities, including film study, are limited to two hours per week in all sports. Only countable coaches may conduct virtual film study, technical discussions, tactical sessions and other non-physical activities. These policies will be revisited and adjusted at regular intervals and as circumstances dictate.
Also, Big 12 schools can provide their athletes with workout apparel and equipment:
It is permissible for institutions to provide off-campus student-athletes with apparel and personal equipment that is regularly available to student-athletes when they are on campus for conditioning workouts. The provision of other equipment is not to extend to rental, purchase or arrangement of conditioning or strength training equipment or machines (e.g. stationary bicycles, treadmills, free weights, benches or weight machines) but is intended to allow for reasonable supplies such as stretching band/straps, foam rollers, etc.
While the Big 12 was late to the party, they actually beat the SEC to the punch.
The SEC's policy officially kicks in a 1 p.m. ET on Monday, March 30. The Big 12's begins at 8 a.m.
As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.