The NCAA is taking away one of the favorite parts of Colorado football coach Dan Hawkins' job.

In January, the management council voted to immediately adopt a rule change prohibiting head football coaches from participating in off-campus recruiting during the spring evaluation period between April 15 and May 31.

The change was recommended to help avoid incidents of "bumping" between coaches and recruits.

"Bumping" refers to occasions when a college head coach is visiting a high school or junior college coach and bumps into one or more student athletes being recruited. College coaches are not supposed to have contact with athletes during this evaluation period.

Such incidents are thought to be more prevalent with head coaches because they are recognizable faces who attract attention.

Coaches are permitted to evaluate each recruit three times during the recruiting process. Two of those evaluations are allowed during the spring period, with one focused on the recruit's athletic ability and the other on the prospect's academic standing. Hawkins must now rely on his assistants to handle all of that work in the spring while he stays home.

"That will have a huge effect because coach Hawkins does such a good job out there," said Julie Manning, CU assistant athletic director for compliance.

The rule will be formally adopted in April when the NCAA Board of Directorsmeets. It is the second major change in recruiting rules in the past year, and Hawkins has been unhappy with both, Manning said.

Last summer, the NCAA banned the use of text messaging in the recruiting process. Hawkins and many of his assistants were big proponents of texting recruits.

CU has enjoyed increasing success in recruiting over the past two years under Hawkins and recruits have consistently pointed to Hawkins' vibrant personality as a selling point. The new rule will make it more difficult for Hawkins to get to know recruits early in the recruiting cycle and build relationships.

A second rule change affecting football coaches also is expected to be adopted in April. The rule will make it impermissible for coaches to evaluate recruits at camps or combines hosted by third parties such as Rivals.com, Nike or Adidas.

Coaches must complete all evaluations at "regularly scheduled high school, preparatory school and two-year college contests, practices and regular scholastic activities" under the new legislation.

A third rule change will make it permissible for non-coaching staff members to communicate with recruits about pre-enrollment beginning the day after the recruit has signed a national letter of intent.

Turf change uncertain

The Colorado athletic department has been studying for nearly two years the feasibility of changing the playing surface in Folsom Field from natural grass to Field Turf.

Making the switch would save the department money in the annual cost of caring for the natural grass surface, but estimated savings in other areas might not be as large as initially estimated.

Organizers of the Bolder Boulder road race, which finishes each Memorial Day in Folsom Field, offered two years ago to help pay for the cost of making the change to Field Turf. The offer made sense for the race, which pays about $55,000 each year to cover the grass with a tiled surface for three days.

However, Bohn said the company that manufactures Field Turf is concerned how holding such a race would affect its product as well as how other events such as graduations would impact the surface. Bohn said no change will made for at least two years when the artificial surface inside the school's practice bubble will be replaced.

Archived comments

I really don't see this as being a problem as long as there is consistency among coaches. If the NCAA doesn't enforce it evenly across the board then it will hurt CU because it is very unlikely that Hawk will bend the rules. The same can't be said for other coaches and their staffs.

BuffSteve

2/19/2008 9:25:43 AM

This is just stupid. I hate rules like this, their pointless. someone please tell me what is the purpose of the new rules. and i like natural grass, keep it the same.

bufflover

2/19/2008 9:30:24 AM

i want to take a survey. How many people who have a username at Buffzone have usernames on other schools athletic web sites such as Nebraska, Texas, or Oklahoma? just out of curiosity

bufflover

2/19/2008 9:54:55 AM

Please, please KEEP THE GRASS!

Carpet is so hard on the kids. It's too easy to get injured on carpet, why risk it?

chartguy

2/19/2008 10:13:51 AM

I don't know if this is like astroturf but my memory is that in late season games when the area is cold and snowy more people get injured (both teams). This happened during a Nebraska/Colorado game in Boulder, I believe in the 1990s. Protection of the players should be of paramount concern.

ArizonaBuff

2/19/2008 10:40:44 AM

THIS NEW RULE IS AWFUL .I ONLY HAVE AN USERNAME AT BUFFZONE JUST WORRIED BOUT THE BUFFS THATS IT.

BUFFSFANEAST

2/19/2008 12:11:37 PM

Didn't they go back to grass in the 90'6? Boondogle?

Dogu

2/19/2008 12:51:42 PM

It's the NCAA they will do anything to upset the world of college sports, thats there job. If it is working than fix it and screw it up. The NCAA is very good at that. I am only a Buffzone member wouldn't waste my time or have my computer threatened by them other schools. There evil the NU's or UT's or even the OU's besides all they ever do is spread rumors. ( WHINNERS )

afsco@hotmail.com

2/19/2008 2:05:42 PM

Why not put a dome over Folsom Field and rent the place out for tea parties.

For starters remove that faded piece of crap astro ring around the field, I don't care if has symbolic meaning or not. Folsom Field should be the crown jewel of the Big 12 and natural grass says you are serious about attracting the best athletes and that CU believes a grass field shows some class. Leave the Field Turf to those losers in Lincoln and Ann Arbor.

radford

2/19/2008 2:07:04 PM

Keep the natural grass!!!!!! I am also only a Buffzone member. I don't have the time to be on other schools' websites.

DCBuff

2/19/2008 2:32:25 PM

I don't like the rule change involving the head coach's visits. Hawk is our secret weapon that not many others can compete with. Definitely hurts us. Contacts tell me that in reality, the text messaging rule is good because that can easily get out-of-control.

Not a participant on any other school's websites.

Leave the grass ALONE!!! How much did it cost us when Koy Detmer destroyed his knee on the green concrete that we used to have?!!! Take a poll of players to get their input. I know that some backs like the artificial because it's "faster," but the risks are NOT worth it!!! NO PLASTIC GRASS!!!

94pscibuff

2/19/2008 2:53:25 PM

Koy Detmer was a god!!!!!!!!!!!!!! #14 number should be retired in my book.

nolanjp

2/19/2008 3:47:30 PM

absolutely agree with AZ on the grass vs a-turf.

As far as this rule change goes, it is just another example of the pedestrian rank and file finding it easier to pull back down the overacheivers than to raise their level of effort in competition

The NHL did this for decades and relented only when the survival of the league was in question. They are still slipping back a little every year in their effort to enforce the clutching hooking and grabbing rules which are the harbors of those with no talent.

extrapoint

2/19/2008 4:19:54 PM

I believe the "sport turf" is not nearly as dangerous as astroturf. I believe, and I could be wrong, that this is a better, more forgiving artificial turf. It is the turf currently used at Gillette Stadium in New England, if I am correct.

That being said, I vote to keep the natural grass as well.

zwilson56

2/19/2008 7:13:55 PM

Simple folks - we'll lose big recruits because any blue chip prospect knows they stand more of a chance of being injured on artifical turf versus grass...you lose big names you lose big revenue. Saving a few bucks on field maintenance isn't worth the injuries or the loss of good talent...when you're building a program like the one we all want in Boulder, don't cut corners. Find ways to generate more funds by WINNING GAMES!

dnsethike

2/19/2008 8:19:23 PM

Neuweazel was famous for "bumping" into recruits while visiting a high school, and probably his actions along with many others helped along the facilitation of this rule. FieldTurf is a very advanced form of synthetic turf, with tons of rubber granules at it's base to give it a soft and forgiving surface and should not be put in the same class as the old Astroturf (carpet on asphalt). That being said, I will always vote for natural grass! See you on April 19! I now have 16 "fan letters of intent" for that glorious day!

20buff

2/19/2008 8:32:44 PM

Isn't one of the Regents head of the Bolder Boulder- what are the conflict of interest implications? Are we getting blue turf? What is the % cut for the dealmaker (Bohn) in this case? What is the environmental impact-excessive fertilizer and water usage for grass vs synthetic turf that uses tons of petro-chemicals to produce? We need more in depth analysis.

cubuffone

2/19/2008 10:47:44 PM

Grass always!!!!!!!!!! Yes the Patriots use field turf. I think in CU's case just stay with Grass since the field is not used as much as say Invesco or Heinz field is.

mulder1010

2/20/2008 12:19:41 AM

1. Grass.

2. Buffzone only. Does anybody really care what the Husker, Sooner and Longhorn fanatics think? They're even bigger homers than we are.

rodrigo

2/20/2008 7:34:37 AM

Keep the real Grass!! It may cost a little more to maintain but as the football program continues to grow and show profit, it'll become a non-issue. Real grass is attractive to recruits and statistics don't lie people, it drastically cuts down on injuries.

Football was meant to be played on real grass.

We don't need a "pretty" artificial grass field just because it looks good on television!

Coyote02

2/20/2008 9:39:04 AM

I agree with 20buff. Field Turf is much better than the old-fashioned Astroturf. It's more forgiving and non-abrasive, so it doesn't lend itself to injuries or turf burns the way Astroturf did. Most players really like it. But that said, I think grass is the way to go at Folsom. Field Turf is a must at heavily-used stadiums, but the grass seems to hold up at Folsom pretty well.

joeschuele@comcast.net

2/20/2008 12:33:06 PM

Another rule put into place because of Scumweasel

buffalo_flyer

2/20/2008 2:13:12 PM

this really benefits schools with larger recruiting budgets and boring head coaches. CU is the opposite on both counts. the best thing the buffs have now is the quality of the coaching staff, including the hawk. without the ability of hawk to meet these guys early on in the process, some recruits will scratch the buffs early. and, budget constraints may prevent even seeing some prospects. in brief, dollars can neutralize, if not overcome, charisma.

with respect to combines, it is far more expensive to travel to each prospect's school and see them individually than it is to see several at one clinic, again favoring the big money schools.

any guess as to who was pushing these rules?

turf? don't even think about changing. one selling point for CU is the relative safety of playing on real grass - especially one that has won a national award from the groundskeepers association ('05?)

fill folsom on the 19th.

buffalotom

2/21/2008 9:48:40 AM

Keep the grass. Buffzone only. Texas, Oklahoma, Nebraska? Can they read? Why would they need to?

JJohnson95

2/22/2008 5:15:42 AM

Is this another rule that only applies to schools not called "USC"? The NCAA has zero credibility until they act proportionately on the "Reggie Bush FREE HOUSING ACT".

jzbuff86

11/3/2008 8:16:17 AM