var so = new SWFObject(‘http://www.staterinteractive.com/player.swf’,’mpl’,’665′,’450′,’9′);

so.addParam(‘allowscriptaccess’,’always’);

so.addParam(‘allowfullscreen’,’true’);

so.addParam(‘flashvars’,’&file=SC_10_15_12_Instagram_PKG.flv&image=http://www.staterinteractive.com/photos/fall12/0131tv2.jpg&frontcolor=6666FF&lightcolor=EEEEEE&skin=http://www.staterinteractive.com/snel.swf&streamer=rtmp://flashmedia.kent.edu/fms-jmc/tv2′);

so.write(‘SC_10_15_12_Instagram_PKG’);

Recently, The NCAA has been on a role citing major programs for minuscule problems. No, not the scandals at Ohio State, Miami, or USC; those problems were justifiably penalized in the right manor. But when coaches accidentally send text messages, like Mark Richt at Georgia, or when Nebraska football has to report that their students bought the “reccomended” readings for classes that put the program on probation, the NCAA is just getting a couple steps closer to that thin line of unnecessary restriction compared to enforcing needed rules. The NCAA has a telephone book worth of guidelines, but recently the NCAA changed one ruling in favor of the coaches. Until recently, coaches were not allowed to send recruits pictures on the social networking site Instagram, but no longer must they refrain from this incredibly useful recruiting tool. Now, coaches can use Instagram and contact recruits, send them wonderfully filtered images, and even use the great and powerful recruiting tool: The Hashtag.

Kent State basketball coach Rob Senderoff doesn’t use Instagram, and has no plans of using the tool anytime soon. But imagine the possibilities: There’s over 80 million users on Instagram at least a handful, if not more, of those users have to be potential recruits. Sending a recruit a picture of Kent’s campus is cool. Sending them a picture of the MACC Center in a Super 8 filter basically guarantees they’re signing a letter of intent…Ok, maybe not that far. But in the recruiting game that starts around middle school for some of these talented young players, you need almost any extra edge you can get, so Kent and Coach Senderoff may be joining that 80 million user pool faster than they think.

Contact Justin Rockhold at [email protected].

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