New Rules, New World
Metro Index Camp Surviving Changes
By Anthony Jaskulski

There was a time when elite recruiting camps such as the Nike Combine Training Camp, National Elite 11, and more locally, Joe Butler's Metro Index Camp, thrived with top names from the high school football ranks.

But a recent NCAA football recruiting rule limiting college coaches' attendance at such events has made it more difficult for many under-the-radar players to be evaluated. As a result, reaching the Division 1 level has become more difficult for many players.

"It really makes the kids have to work harder now," said Joe Butler, founder of the Metro Index Camp. "These coaches now have to move around to different schools in a faster pace when they come into an area, and what's going to happen is a lot of these players are going to get hurt, and overlooked, and not evaluated properly. These coaches are now relying on me to evaluate these kids, and the coaches not being able to see a lot of these kids themselves is really hurting a lot of the players."

The new rule, labeled as 2007-042, states: In football, specifies that all evaluations shall be limited to regularly scheduled high school, preparatory school and two-year college contests, practices and regular scholastic activities involving prospective student-athletes enrolled at the institution at which the regular scholastic activities occur.

The rule essentially places all Division 1 programs in the same boat.

"I think they (NCAA) made a mistake because they now blanket all Division 1 schools, all the way from LSU to Saint Francis (PA) to Duquesne," said Butler. "Schools like Saint Francis, that are non-scholarship D-1 programs, are going to find it harder to recruit. To put them on the same pedestal as the University of Southern California is pretty unfair."

While the new rule has negatively affected smaller schools, it has done even greater damage to the student-athlete. With less coaches visiting these combines, many of the bigger prospects that used to shine at the elite camps have shied away from even attending due to the lack of coaches and evaluation.

But an even larger concern are the rising stars that have yet to be noticed.

Players who develop later in their senior seasons often need more evaluation, and these camps served as the ideal setting. With the rule change affecting the recruiting scene, the number of these "rising star athletes" has declined, thus a lot of potential D-1 talent ends up at smaller schools.

"It's the players on the bubble that need to be seen and elevated to the next level, because the college coaches know the top guys," said Butler. "I used to get a lot of guys that were on the rise and were developing into top players. Some of them came this year, but just not the same numbers and these kids need to be seen."

Despite a decline in player turnouts due to the rule, Metro Index still attracts its share of kids trying to get noticed.

Local rising stars such as Montour receiver E.J. Banks, tackle Ryan Schlieper of North Allegheny and safety Anthony Saunders of Valley, found their way to the Metro Index Camp at the South Side UPMC complex last month.

Still, Butler says his camp offers a last chance for many players to get noticed.

"Other than showing their recruiting tapes, a lot of kids, because of the economic conditions, can't get to many college camps and get to these schools," Butler says. "A lot of them are going to be overlooked."