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Michigan's Jim Harbaugh criticizes satellite camp ban

By The Sports Xchange

The NCAA's ban on satellite camps last week drew angry responses from Michigan's Jim Harbaugh and other coaches.

In an interview with SI.com published Tuesday, Harbaugh called the NCAA incompetent and hypocritical, saying "I suggest we drop the term 'student-athlete' for consistency."

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"During the NCAA basketball tournament, we discuss the term 'student-athlete' ad nauseam in promoting our governing institution and our member institutions," Harbaugh said. "Then, when we have an opportunity to truly promote the 'student-athlete' with a concept shared by educators and football men from all backgrounds, our leadership goes into hiding."

At the heart of the NCAA's ruling was a reaction to Harbaugh taking his coaching staff around the country last summer for the satellite camps.

"I mean, what's it based on? A survey? There wasn't a lot of discussion or study," Harbaugh said. " ... This is going to affect thousands and thousands of people."

Harbaugh and others believe the Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference were being protected by the ruling.

"It seems to be outrage by the SEC and ACC," Harbaugh said. "They power-brokered that out ... the image that comes to my mind is guys in a back room smoking cigars, doing what they perceive is best for them. It certainly isn't the best thing for the youngsters. It's not the best thing for the student-athletes."

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Harbaugh pointed to comments made earlier by Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze that he was pleased with the decision because traveling to satellite camps took him away from his family.

"You've got a guy sitting in a big house, making $5 million a year, saying he does not want to sacrifice his time," Harbaugh said. "That is not a kindred spirit to me. What most of these coaches are saying is they don't want to work harder."

Nebraska coach Mike Riley said the ruling surprised him. The Big Ten was the only power conference to vote against banning satellite camps. The SEC, ACC, Big 12 and also the Mountain West and Sun Belt supported the ban.

"I don't know how they vote," Riley told the Lincoln Journal-Star. "I talked to (Washington coach) Chris Petersen and we both were wondering how in the end this all gets decided."

Riley, like Harbaugh, thinks the biggest losers are the high school athletes who are being recruited.

"I still frankly don't get it," Riley said. "I just see it more simply as an opportunity for both coaches and players. I think us going to Atlanta and having a camp, and some guy down there, we find, or he finds us, and he changes his life and changes Nebraska's life, I think those are all good stories. It's just more opportunity."

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