The Recruiting Wire 4.18
April 18th, 2008 - bySports Illustrated’s Andy Staples Inside Recruiting Column recently had a couple of articles highlighting what it actually means when a coach puts a scholarship in writing.
Tate Forcier was training at Marv Marinovich’s Orange County, Calif., facility early this year when his cell phone rang. Forcier’s father was on the line, and he had good news. Stanford had offered the Scripps Ranch (San Diego) quarterback a scholarship. But Forcier, one of the top quarterback prospects in the class of 2009, didn’t celebrate immediately. After watching the recruitment of older brothers Jason (who began at Michigan and transferred to Stanford) and Chris (UCLA), Forcier understood the process better than most.
He wanted to see that offer in writing.Not long after, an envelope arrived at Forcier’s home. Inside was a four-paragraph letter from Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh offering a full scholarship. “It kind of didn’t hit me until I actually received the letter in the mail,” Forcier said. “When you get that first offer, it’s one of the best feelings. You know you have a place. You’re set. You’re not worrying, ‘Am I going to get recruited?’”
The offers kept coming and Forcier actually went to the incredible length of posting the letters on a website. They offer insight into a key part of the recruiting process that is often hidden. There have also been two recent lawsuits in the past involving Northwestern University and Davidson College that were ultimately settled out of court. Former Hawaii recruit Daniel Smith is currently headed to court over a dispute stemming from a verbal scholarship offer.
Both sides in the case of Smith v. The University of Hawaii have dug in, and it appears a judge, jury or court-appointed mediator will have to decide whether Hawaii football coaches offered Daniel Smith, a defensive back from Boise, Idaho, a scholarship and then told him not to speak to other schools, only to rescind that offer a few weeks before National Signing Day. Smith said Wednesday that he and his mother, Wanda, have no intention of dropping the case. “I’m planning to fight them all the way,” Smith said.
To combat similar fates universities have begun to insert language to protect them from possible litigation.
Of the 21 letters posted to Forcier’s site, only the letter from first-year Washington State coach Paul Wulff did not contain any disclaimer. The letters from South Florida and Michigan specifically mention NCAA bylaw 15.5.5, which limits programs to 85 scholarships total and 25 signees a year. Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, who has had some recent experience with attorneys, must have had a real legal eagle help him with his letter, which contains the slickest — and one of the most accurate — disclaimers of the 21. “This letter remains viable until such time as NCAA Rule 15.5.5 regarding squad limits (85 total) would appear to be compromised,” Rodriguez wrote. “Therefore, as a necessary consequence, grants may only be awarded on availability.”
The award for brutal honesty goes to Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman, whose longest paragraph addresses the possibility that the program may bail on the offer. “We could fill our scholarships before you make a commitment to accept this offer,” Sherman wrote. “Also, we could fill our designated allotment of scholarships at your position before you make a commitment to accept this offer. I assure you, if you are one of the first prospects to accept this scholarship offer, we will honor your commitment to A&M, and firmly count you as one of our prized signees. We will keep you informed of our situation as other prospects also commit to A&M.”
The letters show the thin wire that coaches walk when they make an offer to a recruit. On the flip side it serves as a cautionary tale to recruits who overplay their hand. So unless you are Terrelle Pryor it may make sense for a recruit to consider committing as soon as they are ready as opposed to playing the National Signing Day drama game.
