Contests as recruiting tool is legal?

[Jacie]

The story of how TT found someone to kick PAT's was recounted last night and the more I think about it, the more something doesn't sit right with me.

The background is that during halftime at a TT home game, there was a contest that involved kicking the ball through the uprights by someone chosen presumably at random from the crowd. The young man in question was a TT student who walked onto the field and drilled one through from 30 yards out. For his effort he won a month's free rent. The next day, Leach contacted the young man and asked him to tryout for the team as they were experiencing problems in that area. He did so and next week, Tech had a new kicker.

So, a school or some entity can sponsor a "contest" with cash or equivalent prizes for students or prospective students to demonstrate prowess in some area such as running, passing or kicking and the next day be asked to tryout for a team and this is perfectly okay with the NCAA?

What is to stop a school from having a halftime contest such as a 40-yard sprint with several young men vying for a new car as the prize and one of them just happens to be a highly sought after recruit?

Does this scenario represent a Mack truck-sized loophole in illegal enticements to recruits or did I get part of the TT kicker story wrong?

[SoonerShark]

The story of how TT found someone to kick PAT's was recounted last night and the more I think about it, the more something doesn't sit right with me.

The background is that during halftime at a TT home game, there was a contest that involved kicking the ball through the uprights by someone chosen presumably at random from the crowd. The young man in question was a TT student who walked onto the field and drilled one through from 30 yards out. For his effort he won a month's free rent. The next day, Leach contacted the young man and asked him to tryout for the team as they were experiencing problems in that area. He did so and next week, Tech had a new kicker.

So, a school or some entity can sponsor a "contest" with cash or equivalent prizes for students or prospective students to demonstrate prowess in some area such as running, passing or kicking and the next day be asked to tryout for a team and this is perfectly okay with the NCAA?

What is to stop a school from having a halftime contest such as a 40-yard sprint with several young men vying for a new car as the prize and one of them just happens to be a highly sought after recruit?

Does this scenario represent a Mack truck-sized loophole in illegal enticements to recruits or did I get part of the TT kicker story wrong?



Is it an inducement available to students at large at the University? Yes. Was the person a professional competing, which might be another impediment? No.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

They have been doing those types of contests for years. Hershey had to give some kid a million bucks a few years ago. They made the mistake of picking a badass soccer player to try a 40 yard field goal.

This is the first time that I have ever heard of anyone being picked up on a college team after winning a contest though. I don't think it was a university sponsored event, but of course the univ would have had to sign off on it. Interesting question.

[OUHOMER]

I think the kid was already a student, plus I thought I heard he is just considered a walk on at this point.

We have a the Carls Jr deal here. I bet Bob's keeping his eye out

[Thesifer]

They have been doing those types of contests for years. Hershey had to give some kid a million bucks a few years ago. They made the mistake of picking a badass soccer player to try a 40 yard field goal.

This is the first time that I have ever heard of anyone being picked up on a college team after winning a contest though. I don't think it was a university sponsored event, but of course the univ would have had to sign off on it. Interesting question.

Of course it didnt matter to Hershey though. They didn't lose anything. All events with that much money on the line are insured to cover the loss.

[Jason White's Third Knee]

Of course it didnt matter to Hershey though. They didn't lose anything. All events with that much money on the line are insured to cover the loss.


We're all zigging and you zag.

[Scott D]

The story of how TT found someone to kick PAT's was recounted last night and the more I think about it, the more something doesn't sit right with me.

The background is that during halftime at a TT home game, there was a contest that involved kicking the ball through the uprights by someone chosen presumably at random from the crowd. The young man in question was a TT student who walked onto the field and drilled one through from 30 yards out. For his effort he won a month's free rent. The next day, Leach contacted the young man and asked him to tryout for the team as they were experiencing problems in that area. He did so and next week, Tech had a new kicker.

So, a school or some entity can sponsor a "contest" with cash or equivalent prizes for students or prospective students to demonstrate prowess in some area such as running, passing or kicking and the next day be asked to tryout for a team and this is perfectly okay with the NCAA?

What is to stop a school from having a halftime contest such as a 40-yard sprint with several young men vying for a new car as the prize and one of them just happens to be a highly sought after recruit?

Does this scenario represent a Mack truck-sized loophole in illegal enticements to recruits or did I get part of the TT kicker story wrong?

probably because in this instance (and in others) it's a contest for current students. this guy would still just be a regular student who was living rent free if the "scholarship" kickers hadn't been as bad as they'd been this season. There are a few schools that do things like this regularly. I'd say they likely got the idea from the pros who have the sponsored contests during halftime or in between periods.