Tim Copeland's Blog on College & University Marketing and Enrollment Management

The Long Arm of the NCAA - Recruitment and Facebook

North Carolina State freshman Taylor Moseley is an avid basketball fan.

So much so he recently pitched in to help the Wolfpack recruit the nation's number one prospect using Facebook. With over 700 members strong, Moseley pleaded his online case to N.C. State recruit, John Wall, by starting a group entitled, 'John Wall PLEASE come to NC STATE!!!!' National basketball signing day is this week.

Unfortunately, the NCAA does not support Moseley's zeal.

According to AP writer Justin Pope, the NCAA says such sites, and dozens more like them wooing Wall and other top recruits, violate its rules. More than just cheerleading boards, the NCAA says the sites are an attempt to influence the college choice of a recruit.

Moseley got a cease and desist letter from N.C. State's compliance director, Michelle Lee, warning of "further action" if he failed to comply.

Is the NCAA simply out of touch with the realities of online access and transfer of information control, or are they right to attempt to keep a level playing field in the high stakes game of college athletics?

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Fearing 'Rejection' Colleges Double-Down on Admission Yield Efforts

A senior enrollment officer told me recently, 'you know, we really don't accept students ... they accept us." According to a recent USA Today article, he couldn't have been more right.

Colleges and universities are hedging their bets as best they can as students delay deposits and wait out the best financial aid packages and educational deals. With a troubled economy, price-sensitive students seek the best 'fit' and the best price. In response, institutions are ramping up yield activities to new heights as they make a last stand to secure fall enrollments.