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NCAA rules will impact UH football

Stephen Tsai

The NCAA Division I Council today approved several measures that will impact the University of Hawaii football team.

“It was big day,” UH coach Nick Rolovich said.

Among the new rules:

> Early-signing period: If the measure receives final approval from Collegiate Commissioners Associations, high school seniors may sign letters of intent during a three-day period in December. Previously, only junior-college players intending to transfer at mid-academic year could sign during the 72-hour period. The concern is whether a player who signs in December has an escape option if the head coach leaves the program before the February signing period.

> Signing limit: FBS teams, such as UH, can sign no more than 25 football prospects each year. Previously, if one of the 25 did not meet the NCAA eligibility requirements, an FBS school could sign a replacement. But under the new rule, if a player does not qualify, the team only can have 24 players for that recruiting class. This will put pressure on schools to ensure that recruits are in good academic standing.

> Tenth coach: Starting in January, each FBS can hire a 10th full-time assistant coach. Currently, FBS schools are limited to nine full-time assistant coaches.

> Hiring restrictions: An FBS school will not be allowed to hire a coach or individual associated with prospective student-athlete to an off-field or strength/conditioning position for a two year period before a prospect enrolls and a two-year period after. That would mean UH would not be able to hire a coach from, say, Kahuku to a non-coaching football job if it plans on recruiting a Red Raider in 2019. There is no restriction to hiring a coach or associate to a full-time coaching job.

> Satellite camps: FBS coaches are limited to 10 days of attending or coaching summer camps. All the camps also must be hosted by an FBS school on its campus or where it plays its home games. For instance, USC coaches are permitted to coach at a three-day UH camp on the Manoa campus, but they would have to deduct those three days from their 10-day limit. It also would mean that a popular independent camp, like GPA College Football Showcase Camp, which drew more than 500 participants last year, would not be allowed to run a camp on the Manoa campus without UH’s sponsorship. And if a non-NCAA entity held a camp at, say, a high school field, it would not be allowed to bring in FBS or FCS coaches.

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