Web cams might be wave of the future in recruiting

"I can guarantee you Coach Bowden is not on a Web cam," Florida State football SID Elliott Finebloom said.

Auburn's Tommy Tuberville said he plans to stick to his strategy of assembling the Tigers' coaching staff at his home on the first day of permitted contact and take turns chatting with each targeted player. Web cams aren't in the game plan.

"I wouldn't be interested in doing it," Tuberville said. He said personal contact is the method he prefers. "I've talked to them, their parents, they've been on our campus. I think that's what's important."

Besides, he added, "I've been recruiting these kids since the eighth grade. Hopefully, they know what I look like."

Oklahoma State coaches have approached compliance director Scott Williams about the possibility of using Web cams. Williams said the latest high-tech tool definitely merits consideration for recruiting.

"It's constantly evolving," Williams said, pointing to text messaging and MySpace pages.

The NCAA rules count "all electronically transmitted human voice exchange" as phone calls, specifically mentioning videoconferencing and videophones.

"We have a rule, and it's been in place for awhile, that Web cams and video conferences are considered telephone calls," NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said. "We don't see it as a violation. It would just be subject to rules we have regarding recruiting and telephone contact."

Illinois' Ron Zook and Colorado's Dan Hawkins adopted different strategies to cope with the new rule instead of going on line with recruits. Zook is visiting coaching clinics around the country as another way of "getting to know high school coaches and establish relationships," spokeswoman Cassie Arner said.

Hawkins is using the time to visit fans, donors and even speak to grade schools, spokesman David Plati said. Saban also is doing a seven-city tour speaking to Crimson Tide supporters.

Minnesota recruiting coordinator Dan Berezowitz said the so-called "Saban Rule" limits the demands on "coaches who don't want to work and evens the playing field with the ones who do." He is eager for coach Tim Brewster to start using the Web cam once they're sure it's permitted by the NCAA.

After that, he said, "there's no sense that you wouldn't be doing it."

Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said he'll leave it up to the Sooners coaches if they want to employ Web cams, but figures "people are just taking advantage of what is out there."

"It remains to be seen if it creates any unintended consequences," he said.