Buying athletes...or buying film?
Posted: Mon May 23, 2011 8:18 pm
From Birmingham News report:
"In the past three seasons, Alabama has a BCS national title and has claimed multiple recruiting titles by various recruiting services. The Crimson Tide have also spent $218,628 on services to provide the athletic department with recruiting information, The Birmingham News reported.
Through a Freedom of Information request, The News found out how much Alabama and Auburn, the reigning BCS national champion, spent on recruiting services the past three years. These recruiting services were thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when it was reported that Willie Lyles and his recruiting service, Complete Scouting Service, received a $25,000 payment from Oregon for video of running back Lache Seastrunk, who eventually signed with the Ducks, according to The News.
During the same time period, The News reported that Auburn spent $99,022 on recruiting services. According to the report, Auburn spent $43,871 in 2008-09, $15,083 in 2009-10 and $40,068 in 2010-11 through March. Alabama spent $85,025, $80,977 and $52,626 (through March 22) during the same time.
“We use it as a resource of information to know about who might be out there, especially in a five-hour radius of here and the areas where we actively recruit,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told The News.
Alabama paid Rising Stock/XOS $42,500 over the past three years—his highest payout. Auburn paid All Pro Sound $14,000 three years ago and $12,495 this year to Video for Athletes for its two highest payouts, The News reported.
Recruiting expert Tom Lemming said the amount of money spent by Alabama and Auburn was “mind-boggling.”
Lemming has three magazines and five newsletters he provides for $90.
“It’s been the same price since 1989. When you get up to $80,000, it doesn’t make sense,” Lemming told The News. “Where does that money go? The colleges use my stuff as reference but not as fact, to make sure they’re not missing anybody. Normally, they do their own work by evaluating film and seeing a kid in person. I don’t know how $80,000 winds up being spent on recruiting services.”
Mike Ward, Alabama associate athletic director for compliance, addressed the purchases.
“We receive plenty of solicitations to try new products or services, but we feel that we already have a nice mix of services,” Ward told The News. “As we recruit new areas, there are times in which we may have a gap in our coverage, but we’re very cautious with what we buy.”
According to The News’ study, Auburn and Alabama use Levi, Ray and Shoup, Inc. LRS senior manager Dan McCain said his company has 18,000 players in its database and it shoots video of six-to-eight high school games per week during the season.
He told The News that he’s glad the NCAA is showing interest in services like LRS.
“The NCAA and the rules that have passed most recently are to trying to eliminate those guys who are just protecting three athletes or a dozen athletes and are acting more as an agent,” McCain told The News. “We don’t have any place for that in this business.”
"In the past three seasons, Alabama has a BCS national title and has claimed multiple recruiting titles by various recruiting services. The Crimson Tide have also spent $218,628 on services to provide the athletic department with recruiting information, The Birmingham News reported.
Through a Freedom of Information request, The News found out how much Alabama and Auburn, the reigning BCS national champion, spent on recruiting services the past three years. These recruiting services were thrust into the spotlight earlier this year when it was reported that Willie Lyles and his recruiting service, Complete Scouting Service, received a $25,000 payment from Oregon for video of running back Lache Seastrunk, who eventually signed with the Ducks, according to The News.
During the same time period, The News reported that Auburn spent $99,022 on recruiting services. According to the report, Auburn spent $43,871 in 2008-09, $15,083 in 2009-10 and $40,068 in 2010-11 through March. Alabama spent $85,025, $80,977 and $52,626 (through March 22) during the same time.
“We use it as a resource of information to know about who might be out there, especially in a five-hour radius of here and the areas where we actively recruit,” Alabama coach Nick Saban told The News.
Alabama paid Rising Stock/XOS $42,500 over the past three years—his highest payout. Auburn paid All Pro Sound $14,000 three years ago and $12,495 this year to Video for Athletes for its two highest payouts, The News reported.
Recruiting expert Tom Lemming said the amount of money spent by Alabama and Auburn was “mind-boggling.”
Lemming has three magazines and five newsletters he provides for $90.
“It’s been the same price since 1989. When you get up to $80,000, it doesn’t make sense,” Lemming told The News. “Where does that money go? The colleges use my stuff as reference but not as fact, to make sure they’re not missing anybody. Normally, they do their own work by evaluating film and seeing a kid in person. I don’t know how $80,000 winds up being spent on recruiting services.”
Mike Ward, Alabama associate athletic director for compliance, addressed the purchases.
“We receive plenty of solicitations to try new products or services, but we feel that we already have a nice mix of services,” Ward told The News. “As we recruit new areas, there are times in which we may have a gap in our coverage, but we’re very cautious with what we buy.”
According to The News’ study, Auburn and Alabama use Levi, Ray and Shoup, Inc. LRS senior manager Dan McCain said his company has 18,000 players in its database and it shoots video of six-to-eight high school games per week during the season.
He told The News that he’s glad the NCAA is showing interest in services like LRS.
“The NCAA and the rules that have passed most recently are to trying to eliminate those guys who are just protecting three athletes or a dozen athletes and are acting more as an agent,” McCain told The News. “We don’t have any place for that in this business.”
