Can Your Facebook Usage Costs Your College An Athletic Recruit?
Posted: Saturday, April 11, 2009
by Asher Ricard
It seems the NCAA is on a power trip once again. In an effort to make sure all colleges are exercising fair recruiting practices, they are starting to censor Facebook.
It is an absurd attempt to limit the first amendment right of free speech. ESPN is reporting that freshman student Taylor Moseley of North Carolina is finding himself in quite a predicament.
The group, "John Wall PLEASE come to NC STATE!!!!", has more than 700 people signed up encouraging Wall -- a local standout and the nation's No. 1 basketball recruit -- to pick the Wolfpack by national signing day.
The catch is that this is one of many groups such as these on Facebook. You have the "Bring John Wall to Baylor," "John Wall Belongs at UNC" and "John Wall, come to DUKE!!" just to name a few.
But Moseley now finds himself staring at a Cease and Desist letter. Hence, he has now changed the group. The letter stated that Moseley could be denied tickets to the games or possibly face disassociation from the university.
I have a problem with this. Does the NCAA and/or the school honestly think that John Wall is going around checking these groups to decide which college he will choose?
Facebook was started as a college communication tool for Stanford. It bothers me that Moseley was using Facebook exactly as it was designed along with at least 700 other students and the NCAA is finding issues with that.
They are on a power trip. I can understand regulating monetary gifts, inappropriate calls, etc., but regulating a student's ability to discuss things as a community on Facebook seems to be a stretch to me.
How can they possibly think this can be controlled? How can they possibly think this is not a violation to free speech rights?
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