As College Football’s signing day draws nearer, I can’t help but think a little bit about the disappointment of last year. One of the things Walt Harris blamed the collapse of last year’s class on, was “negative recruiting” against Pitt. This is what I wrote then,

…I don’t buy it for a minute that Harris and Pitt recruiting doesn’t use “negative recruiting.” If it was actually true, I want Harris gone now because he truly would be an idiot. That said, the fact that Pitt couldn’t see the negative whisperings coming and counter it really bothers me. Of course people were going to keep wooing these kids. Pitt helped open the door with its on the field performance.

I was reminded of thise, when I came across a kind of amusing article from Florida on negative recruiting.

Welcome to the world of negative recruiting.

It happens everywhere. Everybody knows it. Most coaches probably do it.

But as you might imagine, few admit it. And fans, naturally, believe their coaches are the honorable ones and the other guys are dirty.

“Have you ever heard a politician say he does negative campaigning?” Reaves said.

What constitutes negative recruiting?

That depends on which side of the field you’re on. Many tactics indisputably cross that line, such as saying another school’s academics are substandard or it has ugly coeds.

Letting recruits know that a rival school has ugly girls crosses the line? Damn.