Mark Richt Speaks Out Against So-Called ‘Satellite Camps’
Mark Richt is known as one of the best recruiters in the nation, and he’s able to do it without navigating his way through NCAA loopholes to hold camps outside of Athens.
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The subject of satellite camps — or camps where coaches come to “guest host” in out-of-state locations — has become a hot topic recently. The Big Ten has taken advantage of an NCAA loophole that allows their coaches to essentially set up shop for football camps in the back yards of schools in other conferences.
It’s topic that has been sticking in the craw of coaches like Nick Saban and Dabo Swinney who coach in conferences which don’t allow coaches to do any type of camp (guest hosting or otherwise) beyond a 50-mile radius from their schools.
Richt was asked about his feeling regarding these satellite camps during Thurdsay’s UGA day in Rome, Ga.
“It has come up in our league meetings, I would prefer everybody stayed on their own campus quite frankly,” Richt said to the press. He also expressed concern over the amount of time spent recruiting, and how it affects coaches and their families.
“If you are going to do a satellite camp, you have to decide how many and where, you have to be thinking about your staff. I mean how many more times do you want them to leave their wife and kids to go do something like that. We all love to recruit, we all want to see kids perform, but where do you end up drawing the line. I just don’t know.”
Saban had already his their feelings be known on the subject, according to 247 Sports.
“I think it’s something that we’ll probably address as a conference, and I think it’s something we ought to look at from an NCAA standpoint because I think it’s best to have a rule where people come to your campus, they can come to your camp.
“But if we’re all going to travel all over the country to have satellite camps, how ridiculous is that? I mean we’re not allowed to go to all-star games, but now we’re going to have satellite camps all over the country. It doesn’t really make sense.”
Apr 18, 2015; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban prior to the annual A-day game at Bryant Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports
Richt is the only NCAA coach on the newly formed football oversight committee, and it’s a topic that may need to be looked at on a national level to keep the playing field even.
“I am sure that is something that we might talk about,” Richt said.
The bottom line is, if the folks in the Big Ten really want SEC coaches pitching tents and shaking hands in their territories, I’m sure that can be arranged. My guess is they’ll continue to set up these satellite camps until someone makes that threat a reality.
James Franklin, Urban Meyer and Jim Harbaugh may have hired the first shots, but rest assured the SEC is loaded for bear when it comes to recruiting.