Need more proof that NCAA rules are stupid and the organization a joke? Then take a look at the case of a Mississppi State recruit.
Chad Bumphis, a standout wide receiver, was declared ineligible for touching Coach Sylvester Croom. The Clarion-Ledger provides the details, “Bumphis ‘came up behind Coach Croom and grabbed his shoulder’ when Croom was visiting with the Tupelo coach. That would violate an NCAA bylaw that limits the amount and nature of contact coaches have with prospects.”
No doubt Bumphis will be reinstated. However, a recruit simply coming up to a coach and slapping him on the shoulder shouldn’t be a rules violation. Bumping into a recruit shouldn’t be criminalized to the point where schools are forced to inflict penalties like these: “MSU’s self-imposed penalties, which the SEC accepted, involved Croom not being allowed to recruit off-campus during the rest of the fall 2008 evaluation period. The contact with Bumphis also counted against MSU’s total number of off-campus contacts, six, it could have with him,” according to the Clarion-Ledger.
There must be rules to keep recruiting orderly; however, with so many stupid rules it makes the NCAA into a joke. It might be an even bigger joke than Lane Kiffin. I said might.