The NCAA proposed a rule change this week that may seem useless and inconsequential, but it is one that will likely be incredibly popular among coaches across the country.
According to Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic, the FBS Oversight Committee on Wednesday introduced legislation to ban photoshoots for recruits taking unofficial visits.
The NCAA is also tackling the important stuff: Getting rid of photoshoots for recruits!! pic.twitter.com/AxFyR2aOxn
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 4, 2023
Many viewed the rule proposal as a waste of time when the NCAA should be focusing on more serious issues. While the change might seem insignificant to fans and members of the media, it would be extremely popular among coaches.
In order to keep top recruits happy, schools have had to put legitimate resources into setting up professional photoshoots. The photos are largely used for social media engagement. They are also a hassle for smaller schools without as many resources.
This should give you a better idea of how coaches and recruiting staffers feel about the shoots:
One of my fav coach quotes ever: "The friggin’ photo shoot…You know how in “The Terminator” it’s about going back to stop something really bad from getting going? Whoever came up with this, I think a lot of coaches would like to see that guy get “offed.” https://t.co/VDEAlaTYn8 https://t.co/L9ZQonbZjq
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 4, 2023
Auerbach noted that the rule would not prohibit recruits and their family/friends from snapping photos themselves. The only thing going away would be professional shoots, which seem completely unnecessary to begin with — especially on an unofficial visit to campus.
Are there more important issues to tackle? Of course, but that does not mean the NCAA needs to ignore a smaller problem and do nothing about it. If programs were not having issues with the photoshoots, the subject would have never come up.
