Coaches,

I wanted to pass on to you the new rules governing text
messaging/Instant Messaging by college coaches to potential student
athletes (read: high school rowers). I know a lot of your student-
athletes use text messaging and Instant Messaging to communicate and
some may even be moving away from or may not even look at their
email. If any of your athletes are looking to be or are being
recruited by NCAA schools please tell them to check their email
regularly. The coaches at DI (and soon coaches at DII schools) will
not be able to send the student-athletes cell phone text messages or
communicate via Instant Messaging systems starting August 1, 2007.

For the legal eagles out their I have attached a copy of the DI
rules and the NCAA notice on the DII rule adoption.

Please feel free to contact me at gartin@... or 954-262-8273
with any questions.

Thank You!

John Gartin, Women's Rowing Coach
Nova Southeastern University


Division I Rule:
13.4.1.2 Electronic Transmissions. Effective Date: Aug 01, 2007
Electronically transmitted correspondence that may be sent to a
prospective student-athlete is limited to electronic mail and
facsimiles. (See Bylaw 13.1.7.2.) All other forms of electronically
transmitted correspondence (e.g., Instant Messenger, text messaging)
are prohibited. Color attachments may be included with electronic
mail correspondence sent to a prospective student-athlete, provided
the attachment only includes information that is not created for
recruiting purposes, except for items that are specifically
permitted as printed recruiting materials (e.g., questionnaires).
In addition, attachments shall not include any animation, audio or
video clips and there shall be no cost (e.g., subscription fee)
associated with sending the item attached to the electronic mail
correspondence.



Division II advances modified text-message proposal

The Division II Management Council backed modified text-message
limits during its July 23-24 in Washington, D.C., that may provide a
middle ground for people who favor outright elimination and others
who want no restrictions at all.

The compromise came after a motion to reconsider an earlier decision
to ask the Presidents Council to send a proposal to eliminate text
messaging to the Convention floor. The amendment would allow text
messaging only after a prospect has signed a National Letter of
Intent or has signed the institution's written offer of financial
aid or admission.

That seemed to satisfy members who don't see text messaging as a
relevant recruiting tool and others who believe it beats the e-
mail/fax alternative for delivering information.

The Division II Presidents Council will consider the issue during
its August 9 conference call, and both the Management and Presidents
Councils will review the matter one more time during their fall
meetings before the membership decides the issue at the Convention.

Division I approved legislation in April that bans text messaging
beginning August 1. Enough override requests were received, however,
to require the Board of Directors to reconsider the issue at its
August 9 meeting. If the Board upholds its April decision, the text-
messaging ban would last at least until a Division I membership vote
at a Convention business session January 12.