Every year, the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee meets to discuss changes they think would make NCAA athletics better.

On Thursday, the group released some new guidelines for the recruiting process for all sports, which, if implemented, would put restrictions on when college coaches can first make contact with recruits.

Some of the important recruiting guidelines suggested by the SAAC, according to the release, include:

  • Coaches should not contact prospective student-athletes before ninth grade.
  • Prospective student-athletes could contact coaches before Jan. 1 of 10th grade, but coaches couldn’t initiate contact.
  • Beginning Jan. 1 of 10th grade, schools and coaches could send unlimited text messages and emails to prospective student-athletes, including information about athletics scholarship offers. Telephone calls and verbal commitments should not be allowed.
  • In 11th grade, schools and coaches should be able to make unlimited phone calls with prospective student-athletes.

SAAC co-chair Connor Donnelly of Sacred Heart said the recommendations, which will be presented to the Student-Athlete Experience Committee, are all about helping young athletes find the college that’s right for them:

“SAAC came out with a model that makes a difference in the recruiting landscape,” Donnelly said after SAAC’s meeting this week in Indianapolis. “It will take some pressure off prospective student-athletes mentally by giving them more time to develop and make an educated and informed decision in the long term.”

Whether or not these guidelines are accepted by the NCAA remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure — college sports wouldn’t be worse off if the stories about 9- and 10-year-olds being offered scholarships went away for good.