Major recruiting changes at Colorado

[Lotus]

Very interesting story from the Associated Press.



Colorado overhauls recruiting guidelines
High school athletes barred from private parties, bars; Visits limited to one night
The Associated Press

AURORA, Colo. - Colorado announced sweeping changes to its football program Thursday that include barring recruits from visiting bars and private parties and putting them under the supervision of parents and coaches.

Calling the new guidelines the strictest in the nation, university president Betsy Hoffman said recruits will now visit the Boulder campus during the offseason so coaches and athletes will have more time to focus on them.

All activities will be planned, approved and supervised by a coach.

The recruits, primarily high school athletes, will also be limited to a single night's stay during a campus visit, instead of the usual two. The 1 a.m. curfew coaches had long said was the only one at the Division I level will also be moved up to 11 p.m.

"As painful an experience as it may be, we view it as an opportunity to set the standard for an issue all colleges and universities must be concerned about," Hoffman said.

Asked if the strict new guidelines will hurt recruiting, school chancellor Richard Byyny said: "It really doesn't matter. We want to have a model program."

"We want to make sure students understand they are here first for an education," he said.

Seven women have accused Colorado football players or recruits of rape since 1997, though no charges have been filed. Coach Gary Barnett is on paid leave for remarks he made in two of the cases, including disparaging the athletic ability of a former player who said she was raped by a teammate in 2000.

[Water Pony]

Changes in:

- Improving recruiting practices
- Raising graduation rates
- greater Bowl access

Good news for Mid-Majors? I am concerned when we express a preference for lower admission standards and seeking JUCO, when it makes us more like the "big, dumb and happy" group. If our goal is to emulate the state schools, I think we lose the war.

Non-BCS schools need to press on penalties on low graduation rates, including loss of scholarships. If done right the non-BCS schools plus Stanford, Duke, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, etc. should be rewarded, not sacrificed at the altar of the BCS and maximum revenue model, when doing the RIGHT thing.

[SMUguy]

These changes at CU sound almost like they're coming toward the recruiting practices we adopted (although not the exact same practices), moreso than us going toward the big schools.