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11/11/05
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'Unprecedented' agreement
Ohio State's offer of a potential release to recruits surprises some officials, worries others
The college basketball world was buzzing Thursday about the agreement Ohio State has with its new recruits.
Buckeyes coach Thad Matta sent a letter to the recruits, including Lawrence North seniors Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr., stating the Buckeyes would release each player from his letter of intent in the unlikely event upcoming sanctions keep the school out of the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
The sanctions would stem from recruiting violations that occurred before Matta got to the school, and for which Ohio State already served a self-imposed ban for the 2005 NCAA Tournament. An NCAA infractions committee will meet Dec. 9-10 to determine if there should be more penalties.
"In the 30-odd years I've been doing this, that is totally unprecedented," Bob Gibbons, one of the nation's most respected recruiting analysts, said of the agreement. "It's certainly a move of integrity on (Ohio State's) part and should be reassuring to Mike Conley and Greg Oden and the other kids. But I've never heard of it."
Said Dave Telep of national scouting service scout.com: "That's not standard policy, but in a case like this, it's a heck of a thing for (Matta) to do. That tells you what a stand-up guy he is."
The normal routine before signing day is for colleges to send a blank letter of intent form to recruits. Along with that, Matta sent the letter offering the possible release, Ohio State spokesman Dan Wallenberg said.
Wallenberg said the letter was signed by Matta, Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith and school president Karen Holbrook.
"We made a letter and sent it to all four guys," Wallenberg said. "It said if there is any postseason ban for '06-07, we would let them out of their commitment."
Oden, Conley, Daequan Cook of Dayton (Ohio) Dunbar and David Lighty of Cleveland were the four high school players who signed with Ohio State on Wednesday, giving the Buckeyes one of the highest-profile recruiting classes in the nation.
The national letter of intent (NLI) program is run by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, separate from the NCAA.
For a player to be released from a letter of intent, a standard release form must be signed by the recruit and the school. That policy began in October 2004. Before that, a player had to appeal directly to the NLI program for a release.
With a release, a player can sign with another school and wouldn't have to sit out a year and lose a year of eligibility.
However, one of the stipulations in the letter of intent, provision 18, says, "My signature on this NLI nullifies any agreements, oral or otherwise, which would release me from the conditions stated within this NLI."
So, according to the NLI program, Ohio State could back out of its side agreement with the recruits on the basis of provision 18. But given that the agreement was signed by the coach, athletic director and school president, that could lead to a legal battle, and certainly would be a public relations nightmare and have catastrophic consequences on Matta's future recruiting.
Torie Johnson, director of the national letter of intent program, said the agreement is not against NLI rules. But in general she was wary of coaches using such tactics.
"Is the program OK with this? I would say probably not," Johnson said. "We understand and think it's necessary that schools need to be straightforward with prospects if there is a question of potential NCAA probation. . . . By putting something in writing, the institution could be obliging the families of those students, but at the same time, prospects need to be wary of provision 18."
The NCAA is not involved in letter-of-intent issues prior to a player enrolling in college. Bob Williams, NCAA managing director of public and media affairs, said Ohio State broke no NCAA rules "as far as I can tell."
"If a school is in a position in which it is awaiting word on any potential sanctions, that's a unique situation," Williams said. "We would handle that on a case-by-case basis."
Mike Conley Sr., who has coached his son and Oden in summer basketball since the two were in junior high, said Matta sent the letter without prompting.
"It's not about the letter," Conley Sr. said. "The letter is fine because it gives you a sense of comfort, but the reason the boys are going there is because of Matta and the administration that's there now. If I need a letter to assure me a person is going to keep their word, the boys wouldn't be going to school there.
"In the end, it's about Matta as a person and what he's started there. The boys are not going to Ohio State because they're lifelong Buckeye fans. They're going to Ohio State because they like what he has to offer and they believe and trust in him."
Call Star reporter Jeff Rabjohns at (317) 444-6183.
