And, given the slew of NCAA run-ins at multiple big (and not-so-big) programs over the past year, there’s certainly a lot of it in the sport.
At fan Q&A last week, Georgia coach Mark Richt addressed the controversial issues of grayshirting and oversigning -- two very common practices in the SEC that have been a part of the “win at all costs” mentality in college football.
Then again, last time I checked, the SEC has won the past five BCS National Championships.
While oversigning has become a frustrating, hot-button issue for certain college presidents (and NBC bloggers alike), several coaches within the SEC have practiced it ritualistically.
Richt, when asked about oversigning, said he feels he’s an anomaly.
“If you bring them [recruits] in in the summer, and you work them and you let your strength staff work with them, and you kind of decide which ones you like the best, and you tell five of them, ‘Hey we know we signed you, and we expected you to be able to come in, we don’t have space for you, we’re really sorry about that but we don’t have space for you – you’re gonna have to leave and come back in January.’
“I think that’s an awful thing to do, I think that’s the wrong thing to do. And it’s nothing that we’ve done since I’ve been at Georgia.”
The NCAA limit per signing class is 25, but that does not include early enrollees. For the record, Georgia has signed more than the allotted 25 players three times over the past decade (Rivals.com).
But while Richt insists he’s never ousted a kid in Athens simply because there wasn’t enough space, he did mention he’s endorsed another common, and certainly polarizing, practice: grayshirting.
“Not that we haven’t grayshirted, or talked to guys about grayshirting,” Richt said. “If you tell five of those guys ‘Hey we’ve got 20 spaces. I can sign 25. There’s a good chance that by school starts there’ll be room for you, because of the attrition that happens every year everywhere you go. If there’s space for you, you come in with your class. If there’s not space for you, are you willing to come in in January?’
“If you tell them on the front end and they know that, everyone understands that, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. And that’s how we go about it if we’re going to talk to a guy about grayshirting.”
Richt is one of the classiest guys in college football, no doubt. His team has struggled recently on the field and his players have had their fair share of the off-the-field issues, but there’s still something to be said for trying to go about things the right way.
And barring some Tressel-like scandal, it appears Richt, whether he has a job after next year or not, is content to at least try and win without the cost of throwing a select group of his kids under the proverbial bus.
“There’s been a bit too much of the winning at all costs in college football,” Richt said. “And I hope the tide turns in the other direction.”
Admirable, to be sure.
But, unfortunately, as long as billions of dollars in television deals, booster donations and coaching (and player?) salaries are poured into the sport, it won’t.