Will multiyear scholarships give Dawgs a recruiting edge?
Mark Richt has always viewed scholarship offers as a multiyear commitment. (Associated Press)
The proposal to allow schools to give student athletes multiyear scholarships, instead of annual scholarships that must be renewed every year, was upheld (just barely) last week in a vote of the NCAA membership, despite quite a few coaches not being on board with the idea.
Mark Richt is totally on board, though, because that’s the way Georgia’s been operating unofficially under him all along. As he said last month, “When we sign a young man, we expect him to see through to graduation. I know contractually it is one year at a time, but from what’s in my heart and from what’s in the heart of the University of Georgia is for these guys to make it all the way through to graduation. It means a whole lot to us. I don’t think it will change the way we view taking care of these guys.”
In fact, UGA athletic director Greg McGarity told the Athens Banner-Herald that Georgia is likely to offer multiyear scholarships in time for the spring signing period.
“I think it’s good legislation,” McGarity said of the NCAA plan. “Mark Richt adheres to it anyway. The bottom line is when he signs a kid, he has him around unless they leave on their own accord or they tend to violate team rules. Anybody that conducts their program in the right way, when they sign a young man or young woman to a scholarship, they want to see it through.”
Steve Spurrier thinks multiyear scholarships are a "terrible" idea. (Associated Press)
The key words there being conducts their program in the right way. Not everyone sees the issue the way Richt and McGarity do. South Carolina’s Steve Spurrier, for example, has called multiyear scholarships a “terrible idea,” asking, “What if a young man decides he doesn’t want to give much effort or go weightlifting or go to workouts? How do you get rid of him? Everybody has to earn his or her way in life.”
You have to wonder how comments like that will play out in the recruiting world. Already, schools objecting to the NCAA proposal said they feared that mutiyear scholarships could be used as a recruiting lure.
Well, duh. If you’re a kid choosing between schools, wouldn’t you rather go with one that’s offering you multiple years at college instead of just one?
Whether UGA’s stand on the issue really will be a big stick in the recruiting world is open to debate. With five-star recruits who aren’t likely to be worrying about getting their scholarships renewed each year, it probably won’t be much of a factor.
But that’s a relatively small portion of each recruiting class. When it comes down to those three-star and below players who fill out the roster and make it possible for the five-star guys to become stars, UGA and other schools that offer the multiyear deals might indeed have an edge.
Of course, even if multiyear offers becomes the prevailing way to go, the Nick Sabans of the college football world will always find a way to run off of a kid they don’t want around any more, whether it’s through rules enforcement or creative medical disqualifications.
Sure, offering multiyear grants could occasionally end up biting you in the butt. In the past, even Richt has encouraged some kids who didn’t buy into his program to “get off the bus,” and that might be trickier if you’ve given them a multiyear scholarship, unless they’re violating the rules.
But the bottom line is that NCAA schools, particularly profitable elite programs like Georgia’s, make millions of dollars off their student athletes. I believe guaranteeing them that those promises made to them during recruiting aren’t going to go away after a year if they’re no longer needed is the right thing to do.
How about you?
Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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192 comments Add your comment
I-DOG
February 23rd, 2012
9:27 am
I’m still confused about why the OL from Maryland is restricted from transferring to ACC schools and Vandy if he is sitting out a year. I always thought the rule was that if the athlete sat out a year as a “penalty” they could play anywhere that would take them?
I thought you could only put restrictions if you were “releasing” the player and he could play immediately. Seems to me that the penalty of having to sit out a season would be enough to curb an epidemic of player transfers which would be bad for college football.
What is to stop a coach from putting the following restriction on any of his players that want to transfer (cannot transfer to the big 12, pac 12, big 10, SEC, ACC, Big East, or Mountain West… other than that, he can play for anyone that he wants to after sitting out the year?)
I am not for huge numbers of guys transferring and it is pretty rare now so I guess the rules are working from that standpoint. It just seems like in a scenario where a Georgia player’s family member became ill and a player wanted to move back to New Jersey and play for Rutgers would be a reasonable thing to want to do in certain cases. I’m sure that Richt would grant such a player immediate release, but what is to stop a coach from saying that the player can’t transfer to another Div 1 team?
Joey
February 23rd, 2012
9:40 am
“This is not from lack of talent but from lack of coaching and motivation and preparation and keeping his players out of Trouble.”
****************************************
Those are good points, Thomas. It’s amazing the number of players that get in trouble at UGA, especially when Richt supposedly doesn’t even recruit “troubled” high schoolers. He obviously has discipline – but other players ignore it.
The “preparation” part I agree with also – it’s the obvious reason we can’t beat the better teams any more, the reason every season, UGA loses at least one game that we had no business losing.
Charlie Hayes
February 23rd, 2012
9:51 am
I just want to remind everyone that there are three (3) games that UGA barely lost between 2002 and 2007 that would have sent us to the BCS Championship Game. Take any of those games and turn them into a win and UGA is playing for the Naty Title! CMR’s teams have been close, very close. CMR can only build his players up and expect them to make plays when its their turn. If they dont make the play then the game turns and UGA ends up on the wrong end of the stick. Just give him a couple more years (might even be in 2012) with this new D and they will be playing for a BSC ring! Go Dawgs!
Charlie Hayes
February 23rd, 2012
9:55 am
@ Joey, UGA has just as many players in trouble as UF, Bama and LSU. The problem is that CMR displines or dismisses his players. The other teams just sweep it under the rug. Did you read about Bama’s Upshaw? He was charged the same as Sanders Comming, however wasnt suspended for a single game. NICK SABAN IS OUT TO CHEAT AND WIN NO MATTER THE COSTS! That’s the problem, not CMR.
Burma Shave
February 23rd, 2012
10:16 am
Richt can’t win the big ones
That’s plain to see
His players are trash
On that we all agree
BURMA SHAVE
Joey
February 23rd, 2012
10:55 am
Burma Shave is a mommy’s boy
That we can see
But we think Burma’s a idio+
And his mommy says, “I agree!”
Joey
February 23rd, 2012
11:22 am
That was one of my points, Charlie, that despite talented teams in ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘07, and ‘08, UGA always loses a game or two they shouldn’t. Usually because of underperforming assistants, but that’s still on Richt. He also hasn’t pulled of a good upset in years – Tech in ‘09 was hardly an upset.
I hope it changes, but really, why would it? We had another dream team back in ‘07 and ‘08, and Richt and Co found a way to lose 5 games in those 2 years.
Doesn’t matter, Richt and Co are here for 4-5 more years miminum, and I hope he proves me wrong.
Nothing Could Be Finer
February 23rd, 2012
11:25 am
32 weeks until South Carolina takes 3-in-a-row vs the Ga dogs.
DON’T MISS IT!
Columbus Dawg
February 23rd, 2012
12:27 pm
Bill, you should not let posts like that of BURMA SHAVE stay up on your blog.
Jacket99
February 23rd, 2012
3:03 pm
The rhymes on the old Burma Shave signs had a certain cadence to them. To respond to a Burma Shave correctly (I think there’s more than one of them), you should have written something along the lines of,
Sports blog trolls
Are not very smart
When they try to sneeze
They always shart
BURMA SHAVE
Lame, I know, but the rhyme and cadence should be correct.
Dawg48
February 23rd, 2012
3:57 pm
Jacket99 rides again!
The Truth Detector
February 23rd, 2012
5:06 pm
The Answer is NO! There will not be an edge.
The dummies who think it will give UGA an advantage just do not understand big time college football.
The great players are going to go to the school THEY want to go to. The players who are “fringe” players will be the only ones it “may” affect.
Second point: To the Negative recruiter UGA fans who want to pop off their mouths about what “other” coaches do are say are just listening to the JAWJA BLOG trash and have never sat in on a recruiting visit or even understand what goes into recruiting. The good coaches do not negatively recruit and to say Muschamp, Dooley, Miles or Saban “lie” to kids is just an out and out lie.
The Truth Detector
February 23rd, 2012
5:56 pm
TDF (True Dawg Fan)
February 22nd, 2012
12:02 pm
ARdawg
February 22nd, 2012
11:57 am
ahahahhaha wow focus on your arguement, dont change it bc you got schooled. Your original arguement was that he owns this state. I clearly disproved it. (FYI those stats are from Rivals)
He doesnt get who he wants either, you basically just told satan he is an idiot bc if he gets who he wants then that means he hates top GA talent????
If he gets who he wants then why did Jordan Jenkins not pick Bama????
Learn about recruiting before you open you big dumb mouth moron.
As for his 2 titles, good for him, he does it by reloading year after year with oversigning and grey shirting. Until his trimming the fat technique is blocked he will continue to do so. (FYI they should have never been there this year to begin with, OKIE state EARNED that shot NOT BAMA
Once again True Dawg Tur?
You have shown your ignorance and untruthful attitude while being a full blown sore loser with no skill sets what so ever. “OKSU earned their way into the BCS CG” but they lost it when they lost to IOWA St and Alabama proved it when they spanked LSU in the CG.
You need to grow up and learn before you post lies and garbage that makes no sense and prove how big of an idiot you really are.
Dog in Nam
February 23rd, 2012
6:10 pm
to Truth Detector…..hey man, lighten up…..you talk like all people from Georgia, all who graduated from UGa or are just fans of UGa are a bunch of dummies….get real…..I know and every Georgia guy I know knows that the best coaches don’t lie to kids or negative recruit….that is very common knowledge….I have plenty of personal experience to draw from, but in this case, it is not needed…..you speak of fringe players, while you are addressing the lunatic fringe that consists of a very few bloggers…you lower yourself to their level when you respond as if the lunatic fringe of any alum/fan base represents reality….so you are becoming one of them by assuming they are anything other than lunatic fringe…..you should expect more from yourself, I know I do….you don’t sound dumb, just a bit immature, at any age, you should know better…your derogatory “Jawja” cut at all things Georgia is duly noted….you should know that Will, Derek and Kirby are all from the state of Georgia and associated with UGA, both of which you disrespect
RamboDog
February 23rd, 2012
6:19 pm
Nothing Could Be Finer
February 22nd, 2012
11:36 am
Reload and repeat.
There can’t be a REPEAT, you have to WIN the East to do that, and you didn’t, idiot. hahahahahahaha
Dawgs roll to the dome and beat Bama, then on to a BCS game…sweeeeeeettttttt !!!!
UGAKev
February 23rd, 2012
8:30 pm
Of course, even if multiyear offers becomes the prevailing way to go, the Nick Sabans of the college football world will always find a way to run off of a kid they don’t want around any more, whether it’s through rules enforcement or creative medical disqualifications.
Got to love that shot lol
The Truth Detector
February 23rd, 2012
9:04 pm
Dog in Nam
February 23rd, 2012
6:10 pm
Dog in Nam.
I meant no disrepect to the Bulldawg nation as a whole.; Most of rant was directed to a couple of bloggers on every article written who write that “other coaches lie to recruits”.
As a guy who worked in the Athletic Offices at One ACC school and two SEC schools over a 35 year period, I know 99.9% of all “Head Coaches” are Great people and do everything in their power to live within the rules and provide each student athlete with the opportunity to leave the school with a degree in their back pocket for their future. Now I will say some assistant coaches,( mostly the young ones and a few old ones) are often the ones who do anything and everything in their aresenal to get a kid to sign with them until their AD, Head Coach or Compliance Director shuts them down.
Take UGAKev’s comments above, he has no clue what he is taking about. He is using generalizations created and magnified by others who want to find any and everything to make them feel better about themselves. When in all actuality there have been 18 or 19 student athletes during the past 6 seasons who could not pass the physical as required by the NCAA and the SEC along with the Collegiate Medicine Act to play football at Alabama. The funny thing is at Texas during that same time has had 29 players who could not pass the physical and went onto medical scholarships.
Look at Jarvis Jones, he could not pass the physical at USC but sat out a year and at UGA he was able to rest, rehab and play and play very very well. Others are not as fortunate.
Who cares
February 23rd, 2012
9:39 pm
What bama recruit from georgia has significantly hurt UGA? Has UGA lost aj green type of player to bama that we got from Carolina? UGA was hurt much worse under donnan by tenn and auburn, the whole reason we got garner, which was good. UGA can only sign so many. Bama is the hot product and Saban is one of the best. It wont last forever. Enjoy while it last
Jan Kemp
February 23rd, 2012
9:46 pm
I’ll confess that I didn’t read all four pages of comments but here are mine. Scumbags that want to win at all cost (like Nick Saban) will always find ways to run off kids he “doesn’t need” anymore. This is disgusting and reprehensible. With that said, I am all for the four year scholarship AND more policing of the dirty tricks that head coaches play on young kids. P.S. for the record I don’t have a dog in this SEC fight. I am a Washington State fan (yes, pray for me) living in Georgia.
WWRD
February 23rd, 2012
10:34 pm
So you stay on scholarship if you slap your girlfriend?
The Truth Detector
February 23rd, 2012
10:44 pm
Jan Kemp
February 23rd, 2012
9:46 pm
I’ll confess that I didn’t read all four pages of comments but here are mine. Scumbags that want to win at all cost (like Nick Saban) will always find ways to run off kids he “doesn’t need” anymore. This is disgusting and reprehensible. With that said, I am all for the four year scholarship AND more policing of the dirty tricks that head coaches play on young kids. P.S. for the record I don’t have a dog in this SEC fight. I am a Washington State fan (yes, pray for me) living in Georgia.
How funny, making up lies about coaches while using a handle with one of the biggest scandals in college football.
nobody
February 24th, 2012
1:00 am
well WDE, don’t look like folks understood what we were talking about…
DAWGMAN
February 24th, 2012
1:28 am
It may well give Georgia a recruiting edge. It will not, unfortunately, give us an edge in the winning football games business. There is a big difference between the two at Georgia. The quality of coaching accepted at Georgia is not what is appropriate for an elite, storied football program. Wake up, Bill!
Dog in Nam
February 24th, 2012
1:38 am
Truth Detector….Fair enough sir….we surely know some of the same people, though I was never employed at those places. Thanks for the very well informed and reasonable reply. I wish you the best. It’s good to see decency on these blogs from time to time. sometimes, things get so bad on here, it is depressing. But, I also enjoy reading the good, salient thoughts, no matter whose side they are from. have a great day, sir. look forward to talking again in the future.
RedandBLackDAWG
February 24th, 2012
8:24 am
The rule is not mandatory for each college, so the effect may be marginal since we all know some coaches aren’t going to pay attention to it anyway. It is the same as the 25 limit in recruiting goes that the SEC instituted. Just another rule with very little if any effect on certain coaches. Some coaches are masters at getting around rules and the intent of them, and finding any loop holes that exist. For UGA, this rule just makes it official, the way that UGA looks at commitments anyway, since CMR has always considered a recruit is signed to a 4 year scholarship unless he messes up outside of football. Sometimes it pays dividends and sometimes, like in the case, where we had the OL, leave after we had him on the team and brought him in as a medical red shirt, only to have him leave for VT. As long as the SEC and NCAA continue to make rules that nobody follows strictly and has enough loop holes to drive a bus through, there will be coaches willing to use those loop holes.
It all amount to money when it gets down to it, so you will never see anything come out of the SEC or the NCAA, that protects the young kid, no matter what. It is up to the individual coaches to do what is right, and I can assure you, there are plenty of them, that could care less about doing what is best for the kid, as long as the keep winning.
Leon Panetta
February 24th, 2012
8:30 am
Sheeesh! All these comments add up to one line of discussion, same pattern over and over: ‘Why we don’t like Nick Saban’ followed closely by ‘Saban cheats’ and ‘Saban hates the kids’ culminating with ‘We’d rather be us than Them (Saban’s program)’ Seriously, folks. Win some important games and see how different the world looks. What does Saban have to do with crushing losses to Boise State and LSU? and South Carolina? and …. well, never mind.
RedandBLackDAWG
February 24th, 2012
9:09 am
Leon,
Nobody said or at least I didn’t that Saban cheats. In fact, I didn’t mention his name. He simply finds ways around the loose regulations that the SEC and NCAA produce. It is up to each individual to judge how they feel about it. For some folks, football is the dominant thing in their life, for whatever reason. Some others, may be rabid fans of our schools, but don’t confine ourselves to just the sport alone.
Leon Panetta
February 24th, 2012
9:52 am
Not talking about you, RedandBLackDAWG –
Who cares
February 24th, 2012
9:55 am
Bama fans be glad people are bashing you. That means in college football your on the mountain top. Better that than the Shula years when nobody cared
LawDawg
February 24th, 2012
12:34 pm
There is something very immoral about the way Saban, et al, handle their programs. I live and breathe football every fall, but there is something to be said for having loyalty to the guys you recruit and adhering to your promises to give them an education, even at the expense of a full roster…and yet Saban out-recruits everyone.
Either way, I like that Richt honors his commitments and that is the kind of place I want my alma mater to be. Go Dawgs!
Husker/Dawg
February 24th, 2012
1:42 pm
Strange as it seems, Nebraska gives players the same deal, 4 yrs,
Pelini stated that if the kid isn’t good enough to make the grade, it isn’t his fault, it’s ours, we made the wrong assessment. He still gets his education. Great Universities led by Christian men, whom I hope meet in a bowl game soon. Bleed Husker Red and love the Dawgs. GBR/Go Dawgs
RedandBLackDAWG
February 24th, 2012
2:21 pm
Husker/DAWG,
He will not have too much trouble recruiting kids with that attitude. Those are the values a family should be looking for when trying to help their kids decide on a college.
TJ
February 24th, 2012
5:17 pm
It’s pretty simple…the ones that want the out want to trade up instead of admittin that they didn’t get the evaluation on the kid right. Spurrier can say what if they don’t live up to their end of the bargain, and that’s a fair question. I would say that if the kid isn’t doing what he’s supposed to, then that’s grounds for termination of the agreement. But more times than not, it’s simply that the player hasn’t panned out to be the player they thought he would.
If the effort is there but the results aren’t, you made the evaluation so it’s just as much on you. If the effort isn’t, you have the out. Pretty logical to me.
GATOR BUCK
February 24th, 2012
5:19 pm
My fellow SEC folks. Here is the deal! It is not about your 8 game SEC schedule. It is about you do not have LSU, BAMA, ARK, AUBURN on the schedule. You are not playing a real SEC schedule when you do not play these teams. You did not play LSU, BAMA, ARK last year. In case you forgot they were ranked #1 , #2, #3 in the nation at the end of the year. Last year you did everything possible to lose to UF, that was a very very bad performance. You lost to SO CAR, so in my book UG was no better than # 5 in the SEC last year. Of course you won 8 in a row , you did not play anyone. You will be over ranked next year, and even with your cup cake schedule you will not even win the very weak SEC east. Your team has resent history finishing strong as underdawg & falling very flat at highly ranked team. All that said as a gator I give you credit that you recruited marshall, theus, jenkins, harvey-clemons.
Bama Mike
February 24th, 2012
7:19 pm
@evillurks for your information.Bama is #8 in the top 25, Georgia’s not even in the top 25. But then again your from Georgia and not expected to know how to read. LMAO ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!
Team (BCS ranking)
Graduation rate
1.
Stanford (13)
86%
2.
Miami, Fla. (22)
81%
3.
Iowa (18)
79%
Virginia Tech (23)
79%
5.
TCU (4)
71%
Missouri (6)
71%
7.
Nebraska (14)
68%
8.
Alabama (7)
67%
LSU (12)
67%
NCAA Bowl Subdivision average
67%
10.
Nevada (24)
66%
11.
Boise State (3)
65%
Wisconsin (10)
65%
13.
Florida State (16)
64%
Mississippi State (21)
64%
Baylor (25)
64%
16.
Auburn (1)
63%
Ohio State (11)
63%
18.
Utah (8)
62%
19.
Oklahoma State (17)
59%
20.
South Carolina (20)
57%
21.
Michigan State (5)
55%
Arkansas (19)
55%
23.
Oregon (2)
54%
24.
Arizona (15)
48%
25.
Oklahoma (9)
44%
* Average four-year graduation rates for players entering school from 2000-03
Bill Rowe
February 24th, 2012
7:57 pm
Just another AJC article to try to help Ga. keep recruits in Ga. but they know whats best for them as far as a future goes. any coach would keep a player if he would work hard and do his best, so if they don’t they need to go and not waste a scholarship. especially when limited to 25. I also notice the only other coaches names mentioned is the ones out recruiting Ga.
GI-Gator
February 25th, 2012
5:37 am
Florida has been doing this for years! Athletic Director, Foley, put such a policy in place years ago. That was one of the beefs Steve Spurrier had that resulted in him leaving UF. It hasn’t been a recruiting advantage for UF. Look at Alabama – it’s well known that Satan will send a player packing; yet, he still gets pretty much whomever he wants. Kids don’t think about this. They believe that they are invincible and since they are such great football players, noting will happen to them.
GI-Gator
February 25th, 2012
5:42 am
@ Bama Mike – You need to get some current data! The data you posted covers players who would have graduated in 2004 – 2007! I assure you, Saban’s numbers are much different!
GI-Gator
February 25th, 2012
5:51 am
@ Bama Mike – As of 2011, Bamer is #31! That’s no where close to #8!!!
RedandBLackDAWG
February 25th, 2012
7:01 am
GI GATOR,
Don’t confuse Bama Mike, with too many things at once. He is still under the impression that other members of the SEC really give a hoot about Alabama. I understand his obsession, since that is about all they have to do in Alabama is play and watch football.
kickslidered
February 25th, 2012
10:15 am
I love CMR but Gene Chizik and Auburn made the decision to offer 5 year scholarships THIS YEAR – in writing on the offer sheet! ANY SEC team could have done the same. I believe Auburn was the only SEC school to actually do it.
I bleed Garnet and Black
February 26th, 2012
1:10 pm
Georgia needs all the help they can get. Although I would think that easy schedules (no LSU, no ALA, no ARK) are enough. They ought to choke when they say they are SEC East champs. How they do in the SEC Championship Game and their Bowl Game (hint for Dawgs: rhetorical question). And, who was ranked higher at the end of the day? (hint: another rhetorical question).