Jim Harbaugh “won” the Great Satellite Camp War of 2016, but he’s still not pleased with the governing body of collegiate athletics. At all.
During Harbaugh’s appearances at football camps across the country, the Michigan head coach has made it a point to take the time to take a photograph with every registered camper and sign autographs. The NCAA, however, has told Harbaugh that he must cease and desist the picture-taking with potential recruits and their families.NCAA rules prohibit UM coaches & staff from taking pictures w/ recruits or their family before, during or after Non-institutional camps.
— Michigan Compliance (@umichcompliance) June 4, 2016
In separate talks on the subject, Harbaugh, as is ofttimes the case, wasn’t bashful in publicly expressing his displeasure over The Association’s latest actions.
"[The] NCAA made a rule yesterday that we’re not allowed to take pictures [with recruits] at camps,” Harbaugh said according to the Baltimore Sun. “They’re making them up as they go along.”
From ESPN.com:Later, Harbaugh interrupted an ESPN.com interview with his son, tight ends coach Jay Harbaugh, because he had just heard that the NCAA wasn’t allowing interviews with the media during camps. That changed within the two-hour practice, and he addressed reporters after the first session.
“I believe we can do interviews,” Harbaugh said. “That’s what we’ve been told. You were there, you saw what’s going on with the changing daily rules. It’s very interesting. It’s very interesting. The NCAA compliance people are here. They’ve been at every single one. The NCAA has sent at least one or two of their people to each of our camps and we’ve had one of our compliance people at each one of these camps. That notion that there’s not oversight of these camps -- you’ve seen it with your own eyes, there absolutely is.
“Football gets the majority of the scrutiny and the rules that are intended to hurt the student-athlete and it makes no sense,” he said. “That’s why I’m pointing this out because some of these other sports aren’t getting it.”
In that same interview, Harbaugh also played the race card.
“Let’s take lacrosse for example,” the coach said, “white sport, rising, affluent sport. Recruit ‘em in the eighth grade, dark period for a couple days in August and it’s a totally different situation.
“It bothers us, but if it’s a test of wills, we’re going to fight for the youngsters and the student-athletes and their families and for the game of football itself.”
One thing is for certain: when it comes to Harbaugh and Michigan football, there’s never, ever a dull moment.