Recruiting, two-a-days top agenda at annual Pac-12 meetings this week in Phoenix

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Pac-12 conference will hold its annual meetings at the Arizona Biltmore from Tuesday through Thursday. The conference’s athletic directors and football and basketball coaches are expected to discuss a variety of issues with commissioner Larry Scott, including bowl affiliations, TV contracts (cue DIRECTV anger) and new playing rules.

The hottest points of discussion, however, figure to center on the abolition of two-a-day practices, and changes in the recruiting process created when the NCAA Division I Council adopted Proposal No. 2016-116. The two key changes are:

— A change in the calendar to allow for an early signing period in December (effective Aug. 1) that likely would fall during the same 72-hour period during which junior college players currently sign. The change must be approved in June by the Collegiate Commissioners Association, which administers the National Letter of Intent program.

— Allowing prospects to take official visits during their junior year. The visit must occur between April 1 of their junior year through the Sunday before the last Wednesday in June, while the prospect is not visiting the school for a camp or clinic.

Arizona State coach Todd Graham told Arizona Sports earlier this month that he likes the changes. Utah coach Kyle Whittingham echoed those thoughts.

“I view it as a positive,” Whittingham said. “It’s probably a split decision among all the coaches. It helps us. I think it gives us a chance to get some more clarity on the situation when there is an early signing period — what guys are still going to be available, what [players] aren’t.

“It also eliminates some of the de-commit, recommit that goes on because a lot of that happens later in the game.”

Stanford coach David Shaw was more skeptical, particularly in light of the ongoing discussion to choose an earlier signing date than the current proposal.

“I think December is palatable,” Shaw said. “Going any earlier than that, I think people are kidding themselves to think that’s actually going to work. Some of it is for reasons that are incomprehensible to me — that we want them to sign earlier so that we won’t have to recruit as long. The bottom line is that if these kids want to change their minds, they’re still going to change their minds. Signing the document is not legally binding.

“You sign a linebacker in August, he’s still 17 years old. He may change his mind when he gets to February or your linebacker coach that recruited him may go to be a head coach or a coordinator some place else and he may want to follow him, so you just took four months without recruiting a linebacker because you thought you had one and now he gets to leave so now you’ve got to go back and recruit guys again.”

Shaw has a more philosophical opposition to early signing dates.

“It’s not in their best interest to sign early in my opinion,” he said. “It closes doors on them and we’re supposed to be opening doors for these young people.”

Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez favors a more radical approach.

“I’ve been saying for several years now we should have no signing date; I don’t think there should be a date set at all,” he said. “If two sides come to an agreement, no matter when it comes, they sign a letter of intent. There will be some parameters put in there that if the head coach is not the same head coach that signed a letter of intent in February of their senior year that student athlete can get out of it.

“I also think having official visits for three months, April, May and June, is really ridiculous. I’m sure we’ll discuss it.”

Several coaches have also voiced displeasure with the elimination of two-a-days, due to safety concerns.

“The way that it went through, it wasn’t communicative with our entire coaching fraternity,” Shaw said. “We’re in it to keep these guys healthy and safe, also. I think there are ways to have two-a-days that are breaking them up and making the practice actually shorter instead of longer practices. I’d love to see that discussion continue.

“It’s not going to change for this year, but hopefully we’ll have conversations after this year and be able to put together a way of having two practices in a day that can be as safe, if not safer.”

Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter

Follow @craigsmorgan