DESTIN, Fla. - SEC presidents unanimously approved on Friday at the close of the league's annual spring business meetings a rule limiting conference football teams signing just 28 players annually.
NCAA rules allow teams just 25 scholarships per year, but SEC schools generally oversign, anticipating a portion of the players they sign won't academically qualify.
The new SEC rule takes effect immediately.
"The presidents and chancellors view the signing of a letter-of-intent as a commitment by a student-athlete capable of being academically admitted and can contribute athletically," said SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who said the league will have the rule even if the NCAA doesn't adopt it nationally. "Coaches have their own decisions for signing a player, but the chancellors believe this is an academic-educational decision when someone signs."
While the rule wasn't specifically aimed at Ole Miss, the Rebels signed 37 players in February, something that caught the attention of SEC presidents.
Ole Miss athletic director Pete Boone said Friday that he wasn't surprised that Rebels coach Houston Nutt had oversigned, but didn't like the large number.
"I know all the academic requirements needed to enter our school, so I knew it would get down to the right number," Boone said. "We went through ones that wouldn't make it, he went through the ones he thought he would greyshirt. He knew how they would all be placed, but I think it all got a little overdone."
Earlier in this week, Nutt explained why he oversigned.
"I wanted to really make sure we had a good relationship with the state of Mississippi high schools," Nutt said. "We knew that seven to eight of those guys wouldn't qualify. We were able to help some Mississippi junior colleges."
Slive said generally speaking over the last three years, more than half of SEC schools have oversigned, and with just a couple of exceptions, have oversigned in the 26 to 29 range.
Despite the fact the league divided a record $132.5 million in revenue for 2008-09 fiscal year ending Aug. 31 - a figure expected to rise by $100 million next year when the new 15-year CBS and ESPN contracts kick, presidents and athletic directors discussed cost-cutting proposals.
Slive said by the time the recession fully hit last year, season football ticket packages had been sold.
While he's curious to see how the recession will impact each individual SEC school, he believes stadiums will still be full, even with a new TV contract that calls for all conference football games and all non-conference football home20games to be televised.
"There's no safe harbor from the recession," Slive said. "But if history teaches, we've had extraordinary attendance the last 20 years.
"Last year, we had 6.7 million fans at our games. We averaged over 75,000 people. We filled stadiums to 98 percent capacity. That's the real strength of the SEC. Television is a byproduct of that strength."
Men's and women's basketball certainly won't be ignored in the new TV package. Men's basketball will have six televised games per week on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
The semi-finals and finals of the men's tourney will be on ABC.
Women's basketball will have 72 games during the season.
The league hasn't looked beyond 2013-14 for sites for its men's basketball tournament.
But SEC executive associate commissioner Mark Womack said he has been contacted by officials in Memphis interested in hosting the tourney in 2015 and beyond. Memphis has twice hosted the tourney, both times at The Pyramid.
Also on Tuesday, Slive will begin negotiations in Birmingham for the nine SEC bowl tie-ins. AutoZone Liberty Bowl president Steve Ehrhart is seeking a four-year extension, like the rest of the bowls. This year's Liberty Bowl is in the final year of a four-year contract.
"I expect the process to extend into August, if not later," Slive said. "You're dealing with a lot of moving parts. It's a very competitive process. There are some new bowls interested in us.
"We're interested in next week in what the bowls are thinking. We want to know what their situation is, what their aspirations are, what their resources are and what they anticipate."
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Comments » 16
the10sevol writes:
i say let memphis host the men's bb tourney, they likely won't be eligible to play in it....
but i digress. so nutt signed 9 or 10 kids he knew wouldn't qualify, just to stay in good graces with miss high schools? can we do that in pahokee?
pammyvol1000 writes:
ok
tripper writes:
Higgins has to be the worst writer out there. He goes from limited scholarships to basketball, the SEC's new contract and finally bowl games. What gives? I guess the SEC is following in the footsteps of the Big Ten. Oh my, what a relief.
Pullingguard writes:
I imagine you are a Buzz fan and would recommend him.. He would be a good fit at Chapel Hill.
teampenny#658108 writes:
Student-athletes not athlete-pros it is just a small reminder to our millionaire coaches. Go Vols
FWBVol writes:
And Vol fans could show you what a National Championship football cap looks like.
Basketball is the No. 2 men's sport at Tennessee and the Vols still draw better than 10 or 11 schools in your basketball conference.
DrJCrown_theMagicMan writes:
WTF?
Yet another stupid SEC rule!
Does anybody like SLIME?(slive)
reelvol writes:
I'd say it more than highly unlikely Memphis will be in the SEC Tournament since they aren't in the SEC.
the10sevol writes:
i know, but i couldn't pass up the cheap shot. flag. 15 yards, unsportsmanlike. lol...
rockytopatl writes:
Good point. Are you old enough to remember that signing guys out the kazoo was Majors' key to turning around the programs at Iowa State and Pitt? They had changed the rules by the time he got to Knoxville, which turned his five year rebuilding program into an endless struggle for the NC that never came.
tripper writes:
They are following a Big Ten rule which is absolutely ridiculous. When has the SEC cowed to the Big Ten? Slive sucks!
teampenny#658108 writes:
It is easy to meet the requirements of most public colleges. Let's insist these young men be serious about their school work. Character is important. Go Vols
rockytopatl writes:
Sigh... if that's the case, we're on our way to pi$$ poor football. I'm always amazed as how overrated the Big Eleven is, and how badly they play against real teams.
the10sevol writes:
and let's insist they all run 4.5 or better, too
ect1983 writes:
A larger question is.....When will you begin to get a life ??
tennezz writes:
You need to change your user name to TarHeelsFool, It`s a better fit!!!
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