The NCAA's decision to ban satellite camps has drawn criticism from coaches across the country, but no coach has been as critical as Michigan's Jim Harbaugh. The decision was called "The Harbaugh Rule" as it seemed to be a direct response to Harbaugh taking his staff at Michigan around the country last summer.
Harbaugh addressed the issue for the first time on Tuesday, telling Sports Illustrated that he suggests "we drop the term student-athlete."
"The incompetence of the NCAA has reared its ugly head yet again," he said. "(It's) like somebody was shaving in the morning, cut themselves when they were shaving and said, 'Let's just ban satellite camps. I mean, what's it based on? A survey? There wasn't a lot of discussion or study. What are the facts? What are the perils and merits of making that decision? It just seemed lacking in that regard. This is going to affect thousands and thousands of people.
"During the NCAA basketball tournament we discuss the term 'student-athlete' ad nauseam in promoting our governing institution and our member institutions. Then, when we have an opportunity to truly promote the 'student-athlete' with a concept shared by educators and football men from all backgrounds, our leadership goes into hiding."
Harbaugh also felt that the decision was a direct reaction to Michigan holding a week of spring practice at IMG Academy, one of the premier high school football programs in the country, and the outrage it caused among ACC and SEC coaches. In fact, Ole Miss' Hugh Freeze spoke out in favor of the ban because it allowed him to stay at home.
"You've got a guy sitting in a big house, making $5 million a year, saying he does not want to sacrifice his time," Harbaugh fired back. "That is not a kindred spirit to me. What most of these coaches are saying is they don't want to work harder.
"It seems to be outrage by the SEC and ACC. They power-brokered that out ... the image that comes to my mind is guys in a back room smoking cigars, doing what they perceive is best for them. It certainly isn't the best thing for the youngsters. It's not the best thing for the student-athletes."
The NCAA's decision does definitely benefit the SEC as well as the ACC, as those conferences had already banned coaches from holding campus outside of a 50-mile radius of their school.
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