Did Saban Break Rules By Visiting Recruit?

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Yesterday we told you that Oklahoma City recruit Barry Sanders Jr. had told the press that Alabama’s Nick Saban had told him that Mark Ingram was turning pro early.

Sanders is a junior in high school.  Saban met with him on Wednesday at his high school.

Whoops.  Now folks from Oklahoma to Auburn — especially Auburn — are asking questions.  Here’s why…

An extended conversation between Saban and Sanders is a potential violation of NCAA Bylaw 13.1.1.1 which states: “Off-campus recruiting contacts shall not be made with an individual (or his or her relatives or legal guardians) before July 1 following the completion of his or her junior year in high school.”

Further, NCAA Bylaw 13.0.2.4 defines contact as “any face-to-face encounter between a prospective student-athlete… during which any dialogue occurs in excess of an exchange of a greeting.  Any such face-to-face encounter that is prearranged or that takes place on the ground of the prospective student-athlete’s institution… shall be considered a contact.”

That photo at left seems to show a pretty clear face-to-face encounter between Saban and Sanders.  (Sidenote — It’s reported that that is Barry Sanders Jr. in the photo, but we at MrSEC have no idea if that’s him or not.  OKBlitz.com believes it’s him.)

According to BamaOnLine.com — the Rivals site covering Alabama — Sanders said, “Coach Saban came to my school this week to talk to some of my coaches and I saw him for a quick moment passing by in the halls.”

Saban is well known for the accidental bump-into.  In fact, he’s had so many “bump-intos” with recruits that the NCAA chose to implement what’s been called “The Saban Rule,” banning such “accidental” run-ins and keeping head coaches from making recruiting visits during the spring evaluation period.

In case you’re wondering, a violation of 13.1.1.1 would be secondary in nature. 

However, Alabama is currently serving an NCAA probation.  Also, the NCAA has begun suspending coaches — like Saban pal Tom Izzo of Michigan State — for violating certain secondary rules.

In other words, if the NCAA takes note of this one and determines that a rule was violated — given Saban’s history with this type of violation — the spanking could be a bit more severe than it might have been just a year or two ago.