NCAA looks into changing recruiting rule

INDIANAPOLIS -- Responding to recent scandals, the NCAA will look into making its recruiting rules more stringent.\nNCAA president Myles Brand announced Thursday that he's forming a new task force because he's concerned recent allegations could tarnish the NCAA's image.\nIn the most prominent case, three women are suing the University of Colorado, saying they were raped at or after an off-campus party for football recruits in December 2001.\nAt the University of Miami, a top football recruit is facing criminal charges after surrendering to authorities Tuesday. Willie Williams' record has 10 arrests -- a record the university said it didn't know about when it signed him to a national letter-of-intent Feb. 4.\nBrand said NCAA vice president David Berst, the group's former head of enforcement, will lead the task force.\n"Given the information that is coming to light on some recruiting practices, I am taking immediate action to address the issue," Brand said. "Some of what has been alleged is morally reprehensible and has no place in college sports."\nBrand said the task force will include members of the NCAA's national office and school athletic administrators.\nBerst told The Associated Press the group would likely consist of eight to 10 people and administrators from the football and men's basketball coaches associations may be included.\nHe said that the focus would be on football and men's basketball because of the increased pressure to win in those sports.\n"This is an area we haven't regulated, and it's probably not sufficient to permit anything that's not prohibited by our rules," Berst said. "It seems to me there should be a better standard than that."\nWhile Berst declined comment on the Colorado and Miami cases, he acknowledged that the NCAA had no rules regarding background checks or limitations about how recruits could be entertained on recruiting trips.\nThe NCAA does restrict the money a school can spend on recruits.\nBerst said he will examine both cases to see if either school violated NCAA rules.\n"When you get into that sort of discussion, whether it's immature, boorish, abusive or whatever word you want to attach to it, it's time to look at the rules," Berst said.\nThe committee is expected to provide a status report to the NCAA's Management Council at its April meeting. Berst said the task force could propose rules changes in April, too.\n"If you're asking about the necessity of having to do something like this, it is a sad day," Berst said.