Seriously....how does Bama get away with it?

[OU_Sooners75]

2008: 32 signed LOIs
2009: 27 signed LOIs
2010: 26 signed LOIs
2011: 22 signed LOIs
2012: 26 signed LOIs

Total from 09-12: 101
Max scholarsips per year: 25
Max total scholarships per 4 years: 85

Bama has given 101 scholarsips, or bound kids from going elsewhere since signing a LOI.

Seriouly, how/why does the NCAA allow this unethical recruiting to occur?

[OU_Sooners75]

in other words bama has hoarded 16 more recruits than they are allowed!

[Frozen Sooner]

Because the 25 limit only applies when fall practice starts, not on NSD. You're not a counter until you're on campus.

[OU_Sooners75]

Because the 25 limit only applies when fall practice starts, not on NSD. You're not a counter until you're on campus.

Yes, I know this...but with each kid that signs a NLI or LOI, they cannot go elsewhere if they get to campus and the coaches say, oops no scholarship...UNLESS the school lets them out of the agreement.

No other coach can contact them. They are not allowed without being released to go elsewhere.

And where have all the the recruits that don't get a scholarship gone? Did they go elsewhere, are they medically redshirted, greyshirted, walkons? What?

The NCAA should address this and make it equal to the scholarships a team has available.

[Frozen Sooner]

Oh, sorry. I was answering the question of "how" they get away with it, not why it's not illegal. Miami and Texas were also pretty big offenders this year.

The problem with your proposed solution is that the school has no way of knowing exactly how many scholarships they'll have available at the start of the next season. Kids quit football, get arrested, flunk out of school, whatever.

I guess a partial solution would be to allow kids who sign an LOI who then find out they don't have a scholarship are allowed to sign with another school immediately with no release required. Kids should also be able to opt out of the no-contact rule on the LOI, since the rule is putatively to benefit them.

[OU_Sooners75]

Oh, sorry. I was answering the question of "how" they get away with it, not why it's not illegal. Miami and Texas were also pretty big offenders this year.

The problem with your proposed solution is that the school has no way of knowing exactly how many scholarships they'll have available at the start of the next season. Kids quit football, get arrested, flunk out of school, whatever.

I guess a partial solution would be to allow kids who sign an LOI who then find out they don't have a scholarship are allowed to sign with another school immediately with no release required. Kids should also be able to opt out of the no-contact rule on the LOI, since the rule is putatively to benefit them.

Yeah, this year simply because they also have schollies to give.

OU can sign at least 1 more if they want too.

Never thought it was illegal...but it is unethical and should be against the rules.

Yes, I know a signing a NLI is not a guarantee to a scholarship, but it is a contract saying that the future student-athlete cannot look elsewhere and no other coach can contact them.

[StoopTroup]

Saban also isn't not bending any of these kids arms about signing. If the Parents and the Kids don't do their Homework and realize what might happen then maybe they either get a Life Lesson or they just didn't think it would happen to them and if it did...maybe they were willing to go to Bama without a Scholarship too. I mean...we've had kids come here and do well that didn't have a Schollie. I'm sure the Teams that maybe offered them a Free Ride might wonder how the hell we got them to come here.

I know we don't like seeing Bama win NCs but the fact is....they are on a hot streak right now and if you were a Kid and they were interested in you and you could get on that Team...you could almost see you getting a NC Ring and a trip to maybe 1 or 2 BCS NCs over a 3 or 4 year period at Bama.

OU hasn't been in it since '08 and haven't won one since 2000 you can tell it's hurting our ability to get those same type recruits now.

Crying foul about it just makes us look like an aggie IMO.

Change the rule....then nail them if they break a rule.

Till then...It doesn't look like the NCAA really cares. Moral and ethical has nothing to do with College Sports much anymore. If the little Schools could shell out 4-5 Million for a Head Coach...Schools like Tulsa might have kept a bunch of the Coaches they lost over the years. That's not being deemed Immoral or unethical. It's the way things are.

[Frozen Sooner]

Dude, there's no way all 33 of Miami's signees are showing up with a scholly in August.

[Herr Scholz]

How? By screwing kids when the numbers get tight. Just ask Justin Taylor and Darius Philon from this year. Below is a description of Philon's experience learning about Saban's honesty this week. Taylor was the 7th commit for this Bama class but somehow became Mr. #26 with no spot when Saban oversigned like he always does. Philon is now at Arkansas (was previously an Auburn commit) and Taylor had to settle for Kentucky (South Carolina and Georgia wanted him before Saban dishonestly offered a scholarship and they stopped recruiting him and he got hurt).



Saban does it again. I guess at this point, if a kid believes Saban's word on a scholarship offer, it's all on them.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/texas/football/recruiting/player-Darius-Philon-104444


Nick Saban legitimately screws a commit today. This is per a Vigor High School Assistant Coach in Prichard, AL. Not my words, but the coaches description of the timeline.

June 2011
-Philon Camped at Alabama
-Bama initially offered with NO mention of greyshirting. Greyshirt NOT mentioned.

Late August 2011
Philon de-commits from Auburn
September 1, 2011
-Philon commits to Alabama
-Greyshirt NOT mentioned

Mid January
-Alabama Staff comes to Philon about potentially Greyshirting. They explain entire process to him
-Philon declines Greyshirt Offer
-Bama Staff is OK with him declining and he still has offer to enter with the Class of 2012 as a regular scholarship player

A Few Days Ago (Less than 1 week ago)
-Staff tells Philon he has to Greyshirt as they have oversigned
-Arkansas immediately offers him a scholarship when they hear he only has Bama Greyshirt Offer
-Tennessee, Florida, Clemson, and Ole Miss also begin recruiting him

Today, Signing Day-Kid shows up for Ceremony confused
-Heart is with Bama but he feels he has been wronged and misled by Staff
-Announces for Bama today at ceremony but doesn't sign LOI
-Leaves ceremony and goes into hallway where coaches find him crying, destroyed by what has transpired
-Philon decides to sign with Arkansas

[StoopTroup]

Saban does it again. I guess at this point, if a kid believes Saban's word on a scholarship offer, it's all on them.

Nailed it. Good job.

Like I said....maybe Philon didn't do his Homework.

This crap about Saban has been going on for awhile now. The cloudiness of the kid going to a School that won a NC in 2011 has to be reeled in a bit. It's why all this Recruiting "Pick a Hat" stuff and the hype that goes along with it is giving these kids this "I'm the #1 WR in the Country!" only to find out Saban thinks you are indeed a great player but not the kid he wants to put all of his faith in. Come to Bama. Loyalty is only rewarded unless you prove the Coaches wrong and earn your spot.

The amount of Freshmen that start the moment they walk on at Bama, OU and many others isn't that high and these kids getting hyped into thinking they are the best and like you guys say "Fooled into coming to Bama" will continue to happen.

Look at Marcus Dupree. He felt he wasn't getting treated right. He felt he made the wrong choice in Schools. It happens.

[Herr Scholz]

Saban wins, no doubt about it. I'd still rather have a coach who wins AND treats kids the right way like Stoops and Brown. You don't offer a kid and then renege when you feel like it. That's just wrong IMO.

[Seamus]

Saban wins, no doubt about it. I'd still rather have a coach who wins AND treats kids the right way like Stoops and Brown. You don't offer a kid and then renege when you feel like it. That's just wrong IMO.

Must ... resist ... giving ... Scholz ... green ... spek ...

Ah, hell with it. He's absolutely right.