CSU Revises Recruitment Policy

This year the CSU athletic department decided to immediately

revise its recruitment policies.

“We revise our policies every year, and normally publish them

during the summer months,” said Gary Ozzello, senior associate

athletic director. “But, under the circumstances we decided to

revise them now, rather than wait to institute the new

policies.”

In an article published in Monday’s Collegian, Ozzello said the

university is speaking with players and coaches to investigate

recent claims made by Hardbodies Entertainment Inc. and Secret

Services that the businesses have provided strippers for CSU

football recruitment parties.

“The university was unaware of these allegations, but it is part

of our review that’s ongoing and if we find any truth to these

(claims) we will take prompt action, Ozzello said.”

On Wednesday morning the athletic department staff met to

discuss revisions to athletic recruitment policies and to reiterate

department goals, Ozzello said.

“Previously the Student Athlete Handbook stated the expected

conduct for players,” he said. “Now we have taken an approach to

define expectations more specifically. For example, it now states

that underage drinking is forbidden, illegal drugs are forbidden

and strip clubs and such are forbidden.”

Mark Driscoll, athletic director, said that in addition to

adding specific language to the Student Athlete Handbook, player

host forms will be altered.

“We’ve reviewed what we do and we’ve added some language to the

host form,” Driscoll said. “When recruits come in we pair them up

with an existing player and the host has a sheet that tells how

things are supposed to go; the language we’ve added will make the

expectations more specific.”

The exact wording of the policy revisions will be decided next

week when athletic coordinators meet with football coaches.

Regardless of the exact wording uncertainty, Driscoll said he

hopes expectations about appropriate behavior will be clarified by

the language changes.

“We seem to be dealing with issues that we have never dealt with

before,” Driscoll said. “Appropriate behavior is not rocket

science, it’s just like how your mom or dad expects you to

act.”

Tom Milligan, assistant vice president for University Relations,

said the athletic department has done a nice job handling the

recent events.

“I think that when you look at the things that are going on in

the world and in collegiate athletics it is appropriate to evaluate

your own program,” Milligan said. “In this case the athletic

department has found a proactive and responsible way to deal with

it.”

Ozzello said the language changes in the Student Athlete

Handbook should make athlete expectations explicitly clear in the

future.

“Now, there should be no questions of our (recruitment)

policies,” Ozzello said. “They are plainly stated.”