Urban Meyer has had trouble making friends in the Big Ten conference ever since being named the new head coach of the Ohio St. Buckeyes, but things boiled over a bit earlier this week following National Signing Day. In particular, Wisconsin Badgers coach Bret Bielema wasn't happy with Meyer's way of recruiting.
It wasn't that Meyer was doing anything technically illegal in the way he recruited his players, but it seems the majority of his Big Ten brethren had an unwritten rule that said "once a player commits to one school, the rest of the schools are forbidden to continue recruiting said player."
Barry Alvarez, Wisconsin's athletic director, has went on record to say that he has no qualms about the way Meyer recruited. In an interview with ESPN's Joe Schad, Alvarez he has not had any discussions about any potential NCAA violations by other schools and that what Meyer did was okay by him.
UW AD Barry Alvarez: "Recruiting is recruiting until they sign. If we had somebody who changed their mind and came to us, that's OK."
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) February 3, 2012
Alvarez: "Urban was very aggressive but there is no pact within the conference not to continue to recruit. Open season until they sign."
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) February 3, 2012
It'll be interesting to see if there's any further fallout regarding Meyer's recruiting tactics as he continues to embed himself in the Big Ten culture.
For more on the parties involved, visit Ohio State blog Along the Olentangy, Wisconsin blog Bucky's 5th Quarter and Big Ten blog Off Tackle Empire.
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