Everything to know about satellite camps, college football’s current official controversy

Friday, we discussed the NCAA’s proposal to add two early signing periods. But that was just part of a greater proposal. Another part concerns limiting the number of days schools can put on football camps. Included in that is satellite camps.

If passed, this will limit the exposure for some kids, which would be bad.

Willie Taggart knows a little something about rebuilds.

The South Florida head coach built his name on a three-year stint that turned Western Kentucky from a 2-10 team into a consistent postseason presence. After a rocky start in Tampa, the Bulls are beginning to feel the Taggart effect as well.

Jim Harbaugh and the SEC don’t get along very well. The central point of contention has been satellite camps, which coaches from various conferences have used as ways to meet recruits in faraway territory.

On Tuesday, Alabama head coach Nick Saban launched into a diatribe against the camps during SEC spring meetings, calling them “the wild, wild West at its best,” among other things. He mentioned his objections had nothing to do with blaming Harbaugh in particular.

On April 28, the NCAA decided satellite camps are fine. Lots of players and lots of coaches from all around the country like the idea of schools taking their shows on the road, giving recruits a cost-effective way to do business in person with college coaches. It was done. Hooray. A long, dumb year or so of yelling was over.

They’re good for many people, and they harm zero players. They’re good or negligible for almost everybody, even the unhappy conferences that do not want outsiders in their hot recruiting regions. At worst, they’ve cost the SEC, what, a three-star running back or whatever? And they’re the rule now, so we can all move on. Case closed. No more hollering.

The story surrounding the NCAA’s ban of satellite camps has been the talk of the offseason so far this year, and it does not appear to be over yet.

Why UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero decided to vote counter to the wishes of the rest of the Pac-12 is an extremely good question. Here’s his explanation; basically, he saw one of the proposals was going to pass regardless of how he voted, then voted for the one that jived with the current conference rule about camps.

Football coaches are a notoriously buttoned-up group of people. They are creatures of extreme habit who bury themselves in their work, and there’s no time for nonsense. Bill Belichick and Nick Saban may be extreme examples, but most coaches can’t be bothered for jokes and other light-hearted foolishness unless Light-Hearted Foolishness is the name of a four-star linebacker prospect.

Arkansas’ Bret Bielema is not like most coaches. This is the man who referred to beating Texas in a low-to-mid-level bowl game as “borderline erotic.” And in light of the hubbub surrounding satellite camps and their recent ban, he wants everyone to know that the Hogs had a plan too.