Despite the unanimous -- according to South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier -- vote SEC football coaches put up against a 25-player annual signing limit, it was Friday's vote by university presidents that actually mattered. And presidents had expressed in advance that they weren't as satisfied with the current system as coaches were.
Presidents voted to impose a limit on annual football signees, down from 28 to 25, and also "closed some loopholes," according to commissioner Mike Slive, such as the grad student exception that allowed a player like Jeremiah Masoli to instantly compete. It's not effective until October, meaning Russell Wilson could still transfer to Auburn for 2011, for instance.
They're also recommending the new rules be adopted nationally. Conferences have been free to set their own rules, with the Big Ten's 85-player roster limit still the nation's toughest.
The adopted proposal won't do away with oversigning, since a school could enter National Signing Day with fewer than 25 scholarships to give and still sign a full 25.
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