Nashville, Tenn. ? Division I coaches are barred from text messaging recruits.
An attempt to override a ban failed Saturday at the NCAA convention. The vote by delegates was 240 to 65, with one abstention. The ban took effect Aug. 1 and was on the agenda after 30 schools asked for the override vote.
Kerry Kenny, who played basketball at Lafayette College and is the incoming chairman of the NCAA student-athlete advisory committee, asked delegates to uphold the ban. He called text messaging intrusive, putting an undue burden on recruits and parents with messages coming in at all hours.
The ban was discussed by the American Football Coaches Association last Wednesday during their convention in Anaheim, Calif. They originally opposed the ban, while the National Association of Basketball Coaches surveyed members and found them almost evenly split on the issue.
The NCAA had overturned two rulings since 2006 and added one more Saturday. Division I delegates voted 190-95 to allow institutions to change dates of competition for men’s and women’s golf, allowing them outside play in nine three-day tournaments of 24 days of competition But delegates also rejected modifying financial aid for baseball athletes.