ACC stands with SEC about satellite camp regulations
Just like the SEC, the ACC supports a ban on satellite camps. However, if there isn’t a universal rule banning FBS coaches from participating in the camps, ACC commissioner John Swofford said his conference could reconsider its stance if there’s no rule.
“Right now we intend to keep our conference agreement [with the SEC] as is and push for a national rule that prohibits it,” Swofford told ESPN.com on Thursday. “We just don’t feel like it’s a healthy part of the recruiting process in college football. We may have to ultimately reconsider it if the rules continue to allow it, because we’re not going to put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage in recruiting if we were to feel like we were disadvantaged, but our primary purpose right now is to try to gain support for a national rule that prohibits it.”
The NCAA prohibits coaches from hosting camps more than 50 miles from their school’s campus. However, they can guest-coach at camps. The SEC prevents its coaches from using the loophole while other conferences like the Big Ten do not. The SEC would like a ban on the loophole to become a national regulation.
Penn State held a camp in conjunction with Georgia State last year and is doing so again this year. Nebraska recently scheduled one with the Panthers for 2015 and Michigan’s staff is attending nine camps in seven states.
Swofford’s stance is very similar to the one of Ohio State coach Urban Meyer, who told Yahoo Sports’ Pat Forde that “I think that should be outlawed,” and then “If it helps us, we’ll do it. And I think we might try one this year.”
According to ESPN, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the chairman of the NCAA’s oversight committee for football, the satellite camp rule is something the committee will take a look at.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
