MySpace and Recruiting

[aurorabuckeye13]

Originally Posted by tibor75

How can it be a violation if an unaffiliated OSU fan leaves messages for a kid telling him what school to go to? Unless the person is offering money or is affiliated with OSU, there is no violation, or is there?

What do these kids expect when they put out their info in a public forum as widespread as myspace. I don't have any sympathy for people who do that and then whine about the unintended bad effects.

As soon as a fan makes contact with a recruit on behalf of the school, they are seen and considered as a booster. SI recently had an article about basketball players and recruiting violations on Myspace. It explains it alot better in the article, so heres the link.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ons/index.html

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by tibor75

How can it be a violation if an unaffiliated OSU fan leaves messages for a kid telling him what school to go to? Unless the person is offering money or is affiliated with OSU, there is no violation, or is there?

When did the NCAA start making sense?

I mean, I agree with you, the argument that OSU (or any school) should be held accountable for the behavior of its fans in cyberspace is wholly absurd. However, the NCAA doesn't think that way.

[tibor75]

Originally Posted by aurorabuckeye13

As soon as a fan makes contact with a recruit on behalf of the school, they are seen and considered as a booster. SI recently had an article about basketball players and recruiting violations on Myspace. It explains it alot better in the article, so heres the link.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200...ons/index.html

Thanks.
But the NCAA rules are correct and they show that this is not misconduct. MYSPACE geeks are not boosters. Boosters are defined by:

• 13.02.13: Representative of Athletics Interests
A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to [non-applicable sections omitted]:
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.

tibor75 is not a booster. I have never assisted the athletic department. I have no contacts in the athletic office. I do not promote their program except by buying tickets.

Now, if I became famous and was found to be frequently on the sidelines at OSU games, then, yes, I could be considered a booster.

But for anybody to think that a random person who leaves a message on a MYSPACE page to a recruit is a booster, that's just stoopid.

[Buckeyeskickbuttocks]

Originally Posted by tibor75

But for anybody to think that a random person who leaves a message on a MYSPACE page to a recruit is a booster, that's just stoopid.

So, you have met the NCAA compliance office personnel?

[aurorabuckeye13]

Originally Posted by tibor75

Thanks.
But the NCAA rules are correct and they show that this is not misconduct. MYSPACE geeks are not boosters. Boosters are defined by:

• 13.02.13: Representative of Athletics Interests
A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to [non-applicable sections omitted]:
(c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.

tibor75 is not a booster. I have never assisted the athletic department. I have no contacts in the athletic office. I do not promote their program except by buying tickets.

Now, if I became famous and was found to be frequently on the sidelines at OSU games, then, yes, I could be considered a booster.

But for anybody to think that a random person who leaves a message on a MYSPACE page to a recruit is a booster, that's just stoopid.

Check this paragraph out...

And yet as of now, if the interpretation reached by UK (with counseling from the SEC compliance office) holds, any recruiting-oriented post made by a fan on a prospective player's MySpace page could equate to unacceptable contact by a booster. "A booster doesn't have to be someone who donates money," said Kentucky compliance director Sandy Bell. "As soon as they involve themselves in recruiting, we have to consider them a booster."

I understand that is one schools interpretation of the law, but since these fans are promoting their school, they are a type of booster because they are promoting their school's athletic program.

[osugrad21]

Originally Posted by RB07OSU

Myspace is a site for people of the same age group and interests to become friends on. To go on and stalk the recruit or just sell OSU blatantly would be bad, but to just drop a line or to shoot the breze about recruiting isn't a big deal. I've actually talked to a few recruits on myspace(mostly the local players) and became casual friends with them. They like to hear the fans opinions and see the message boards when you mention them. Plus me being a player it is fun to talk to all the other players and talk football, recruiting, etc. That is quite different from stalking them and selling OSU repeatedly. Now some may do that, I don't know.

Not sure why you felt the need to defend yourself here....but my comment was not intended for you.

I've seen firsthand how hectic, annoying, and, occasionally, scary this recruiting monster can become. What may seem innocent sometimes is not...especially when it is coming from hundreds of directions.