Recruiting Package Deals?

[BarnBoy]

Got to chatting with some friends while watching the Ohio State game this weekend. We were talking about recruiting in general - both football and basketball.

The question that nobody could answer that kept coming up:
Is it an NCAA violation for recruits to get together and say, "let's all go to University of X"?

My guess is that it is not a violation per se, but that it just doesn't happen much.

Are there any remarkable cases (in any sport) of this happening (the "Fab 5" comes to mind) where a bunch of 4 of 5 stars all come together and decide to attend a perennial "average" or "below average" school.

You could argue that this happens every year at FL, Ohio State, USC, etc.... But I was wondering if this ever happens at "other" schools.

 

[Saber]

The details are a little foggy, but I saw an article a while back about a trio of high 4-star level guys from down south, possibly Georgia, who were talking about all going to Northwestern to try to get them to their first tournament appearance. I think it was the 2012 class, maybe 2011.

There was a rumor that Kyrie Irving and Harrison Barnes were going to do that at Duke for 2010, but it didn't work out that way in the end.

 

[Gopher Warrior]

Got to chatting with some friends while watching the Ohio State game this weekend. We were talking about recruiting in general - both football and basketball.

The question that nobody could answer that kept coming up:
Is it an NCAA violation for recruits to get together and say, "let's all go to University of X"?

My guess is that it is not a violation per se, but that it just doesn't happen much.

Kids can go wherever they want if they are offered. The bigger issue in college basketball with respect to package deals is that people associated with kids suddenly get jobs that are probably due to their relationship with the kid...

I believe a few weeks ago, the Division I Legislative Council voted to prohibit schools from hiring anyone associated with recruit for two-years before and after the player enrolls at the school. This combats the situation where a program says to a kid's AAU coach or friend/family/handler, "hey... get the kid to come here... we'll hire you as an assistant coach... let's make this happen".

PS- a recent example of kids talking up the 'package deal' would be Wayne Blackshear (absolute stud) and Mike Shaw, two Illinois kids in the 2011 class. Blackshear has verbaled Louisville and the Cardinals remain a possibility for Shaw... but with these two, one, both, or neither could actually wind up at Louisville...

 

[UptownMaroon&Gold]

This sounds like what I used to do with the March Madness video game. Wow! an amazing recruiting class of 5 freshman all deciding to go to Quinnipiac, and turn them into a top 20 team in one year! Then make a dream run to the final four as the 9 seed...

 

[station19]

Apparently it's legal at skyline hs in dallas.