NCAA targets Deion Sanders and Colorado with proposed rule change

The "Prime Effect" is causing changes from the top
Andrew Wevers-USA TODAY Sports

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The NCAA is trying to remain relevant in the fast-moving NIL world of collegiate athletics. On Wednesday, the oversight committee sent out a memo indicating they'll be proposing new legislation regarding photoshoots for recruits on unofficial visits.

This is a direct jab at Deion Sanders, who used photoshoot opportunities with recruits at Colorado to promote Louis Vuitton and Lamborghini sports cars. The snapshots were widely popular and became a viral sensation among recruits. Everyone wanted to come to Boulder to meet Coach Prime and be part of the phenomenon. It can still happen, but only on official visits.

It's another way to slow down schools from promoting recruits and allows the NCAA to enforce another rule. The photoshoot concept is a common occurrence, and every school digs in for marketing, but Coach Prime took it all to another level. Which in many way is another example of going against the norms of college athletics.

The NCAA's attempt to ban photos on unofficial recruiting visits will be interesting to enforce, if it passes. The governing body might want to focus on fixing themselves to be relevant over the next decade, rather than who might take a picture on campus. It seems very much like not being about to buy a recruit a meal.  


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Josh Tolle
JOSH TOLLE

Josh Tolle is a writer covering college sports for On SI. Outside of storytelling, the multi-talented broadcaster has play-by-play experience at the professional and collegiate levels. In 2018, he began calling games for the National Women’s Soccer League. He has also called games for the United Soccer League, Concacaf, and the U.S. Open Cup. He has called hockey for the Premier Hockey Federation for the past three seasons and was the play-by-play voice for the Superior RoughRiders of the Western Hockey League. He has provided play-by-play for various other sports including football, basketball, baseball and volleyball events. Since 2015, Tolle has been the voice of Colorado School of Mines Athletics having called football, men's and women's basketball and soccer. He previously wrote for SB Nation.