INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- An August 28th article posted on NCAA.org reviews media guide proposed legislation which the Division I Recruiting Cabinet will review next month. These media guide proposals - from the Pac-10 and SEC Conferences - could have a lasting effect on athletics department budgets and how schools recruit prospective student-athletes.

To read the FULL STORY online at www.NCAA.org, go HERE.

EXCERPT OF ARTICLE BELOW:

The Division I Recruiting Cabinet next month will review two legislative proposals involving media guides that could have a lasting effect on athletics department budgets and how schools recruit
prospective student-athletes.

The Pacific-10 Conference and SEC have submitted proposals related to the printing and distribution of media guides. The proposals – one of which would ban printing the publications – have been positioned as cost-saving measures.

However, in addition to providing material for the working media, the guides also contain abundant recruiting material, which is why the proposals have landed with the Recruiting Cabinet’s for consideration at its September 21-22 meeting.

NCAA rules currently allow institutions to print a recruiting brochure or media guide, but not both. The publications are limited to one color (except for the front and back covers) and may not exceed 8.5 x11 inches in size or more than 208 pages in length. Schools typically devote the front half of the media guide to recruiting information and the back half to records, historical data, and key player and coach biographies more relevant to media covering their athletics teams.

The Pac-10 proposal would halt the printing of media guides, recruiting brochures or any other athletics publications (other than game programs) and move those publications online.

The SEC’s version would allow institutions to continue to print media guides (and maintain the current standards for color, size and length) but would prohibit schools from sending them to prospects or their parents/legal guardians, educational institution or coach.

The College Sports Information Directors of America has not taken a position on the matter, though the organization has provided the Recruiting Cabinet with a list of pros and cons regarding elimination of the guides and restricting to whom they may be distributed.

CoSIDA Executive Director John Humenik said regardless of the outcome, the prospective legislation has ramifications beyond simply allowing or prohibiting schools to print the guides.

Although the proposals carry a cost-savings tag, CoSIDA is concerned about a resulting technology arms race among schools that would not only wipe out savings but actually cost more.

Humenik said CoSIDA would prefer the legislation come with strict specifications and limits on the use of any technology designated to replace the printed guides. Failure to do so, Humenik said, could lead to an unprecedented, fiercely competitive and potentially costly technological escalation.

“If we don’t put our arms around the question of what’s likely to happen, regardless of which proposal passes – if we don’t start asking that question, communications directors believe we’ll be in an arms race in the communications aspect of college athletics unlike anything we’ve ever seen,” he said. “Neither proposal, at this time, even attempts to address this question.”

Read the full story at www.ncaa.org