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There are new NCAA rules that have passed of which all student-athletes need to be aware:
FOOTBALL CAMPS AND COMBINES
All prospective NCAA football players need to be aware of the newly implemented NCAA bylaw that doesn't allow college coaches to attend any event that involves the testing of prospects (combines).

NCAA bylaw 13.1.8.9.4 says institutional staff members shall not attend any scholastic or non-scholastic activities devoted to agility, flexibility, speed or strength tests for prospective student athletes conducted at any location at any time.

The rule is designed, in theory, to get college coaches away from making evaluations only at combines. They hope coaches will get back to football-only evaluations. The rule has caused numerous events like training camps sponsored by apparel companies to change how they'll operate. However, many college coaches also didn't realize the rule means they'll have to change the way they operate their own summer camps.

As long as this rule is in place, gone are the days when prospects attend college summer camps and go through a myriad of tests in the 40-yard dash, vertical leap, shuttle, bench press and other agility drills. What once was a staple of almost everybody's camps are now a thing of past. Many feel that the new rules will force athletes to pick a few college camps and hope they can make a good impression.

Coaches are now unable to attend combines - period. SportsWorx can help by plugging football players into our network of speed and strength trainers to provide verifiable performance data to coaches.

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TEXT MESSAGING
The other hot topic - just as it was last year - concerned text messaging.

The NCAA is looking at three different options, one of which was just shot down at the NCAA convention. One proposal would eliminate text messaging to prospects and specifies that electronically transmitted correspondence sent to a prospective student-athlete is limited to electronic mail and facsimiles. Another proposal was considered to be a middle-of-the-road solution, and it would have reduced communication via text messaging from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The times would be based upon the location where the prospect resides. The third was to maintain the status quo - no rules at all.

The NCAA Division I Board of Directors voted Thursday to end the practice, effective Aug. 1. The board didn't vote to control it or curtail it. Coaches didn't lose permission to text a recruit during, say, school hours. They didn't lose permission to text a recruit during certain months of the year. They lost permission to text a recruit, period.

NO MORE GRADUATE TRANSFERS
Last season the NCAA passed a rule that allowed Division I graduates with eligibility remaining to transfer and play immediately at another school. That rule was struck down at the NCAA Convention.

Silver said these transfers can still take place in the spring and summer months, and the new legislation will take place in on Aug. 1. The news was actually greeted with a few cheers from the coaches.

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