In the wake of saucy recruiting allegations against USC, Florida coach Urban Meyer nearly had the whistle blown on him this week.The Gators' coach was set to deliver a speech at Lakeland High School's football banquet Thursday but was turned around five minutes before the speech when it was learned his appearance would be an NCAA violation.
However, Meyer found out after he landed at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport that it's against NCAA rules for a coach to speak at a high school banquet within 48 hours of the NCAA's national signing day.Isn't that a little like not being able to consummate with your husband or wife within 48 hours of the wedding? I'm sure this went over well with Meyer. Welcome to hell college football fans, your demon sorcerer waving that rule-making wand is none other than the NCAA. Now stay away from your spouse!
Lakeland's banquet was one day after the national signing day and one day after Meyer signed seven Dreadnaughts to letters-of-intent.
"He said when he landed at the Lakeland Airport that he had eight messages (on his cell phone) and all eight said it would be an NCAA violation if he even attended the banquet," Lakeland athletic director Sid Kimbrell said.
Meyer's flub is completely forgiveable of course. Florida staffers were able to re-route him in advance of committing the error thus sparing another round of 'pitchforks and torches' across the internet tonight.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Don't these big schools hire someone that knows the rules inside and out, or do they hire them to see how they can get around the rules.
Within 48 hours AFTER signing day makes no sense. I would like to assume that the NCAA intent was to keep coaches away from the players just before they were to make their decisions, but with this group....
Yeah, they are called "compliance officers." And they are probably worth their weight in gold to these universities. But, obviously, they aren't consulted with frequently enough.
WHO CARES!!!! GO SEMINOLES!!!!
Many NCAA rules and regulations have a small scent of sanity to them. Other NCAA rules and regulations, like this one, is a matter of over-regulation running wild. Let's hope the NCAA rules committee doesn't come up with another hundred or so new, obscure rules during its winter meetings this year. The NCAA should erase its current slate of rules and enact fewer rules and put some bite into the few that remain on the books.
Why wasn't this potential violation, discovered when he received the invitation to speak??
Since when is "almost" a news story. Hey, the sky almost fell, just ask chicken little. Why didn't Germany almost win WWII..... Come on, report on something real !!!!!!