Text messaging is the newest recruiting
tool of college coaches – and some are concerned
that it is becoming too intrusive into
the lives of highly-prized high school athletes.

The NCAA is concerned enough about
the issue that it is considering rule proposals
that would either prohibit text messaging in
recruiting, or put limits to its use.

Currently, the NCAA rules regulate telephone
calls and the type of materials that can
be sent to potential recruits through the mail;
the organization even prohibits overnight
mail as part of its current policy. But, once a
recruit enters his/her junior year in high
school, that athlete is fair game for unlimited
emails and text messages.

There are actually two separate proposals
regarding the use of text messaging before
the NCAA right now. One proposal would
eliminate text messaging altogether and the
other would limit it to between the hours of
4 p.m. and 8 p.m. during the week and from
8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends. Neither
would take effect until April of next year.

The colleges coaches assigned to do the
recruiting, generally the assistant coaches,
appear to favor the use of text message
because it makes their job that much easier.
But opponents to the overuse of the communication
tool point out that it is not only
intrusive since students can be bombarded by
messages even when in class, but can be
expensive to the student because he/she is
paying for each message they receive.

Perhaps the upside for the student-athlete
trying to land a college roster spot is that, if
the colleges are texting them to the point of
distraction, it must mean they are interested.