Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor, July 14, 2015
Satellite camps.
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Pretty much everyone has heard the two words more than he or she ever imagined this offseason.
A few Big Ten coaches run them in SEC territory, and the SEC isn't exactly happy about it.
So, why doesn't the SEC run similar camps in Big Ten country and other areas? Because the conference doesn't allow its coaches to conduct satellite camps at high schools outside a 50-mile radius.
As expected, the topic was discussed at SEC media days Monday, the first day of the four-day spectacle.
Auburn coach Gus Malzahn offered the hottest take, that's for sure.
"First of all, this past year, the chances of a team up north coming into our state when us and Alabama both want a player, is slim to none," Malzahn said.
Bold, although not exactly a guarantee.
Is a stud prospect in Alabama more likely to stay close to home and play for the Tide or Tigers? Yes. But there are exceptions to everything, and the Big Ten's stable of rock star coaches, plus its successful 2014 postseason, could make the decision that much tougher for the top high school players in southeast.
As landgrantholyland.com points out, it's not unheard of for five-star players in the SEC footprint to venture up north. Ohio State's Raekwon McMillan and Vonn Bell, both five-star recruits out of Georgia, picked the Buckeyes over Alabama and Auburn, among others. Not only that, they made the decision during a time in which the SEC was dominating the sport.
Malzahn added this about satellite camps, too:
"From a conference standpoint if they continue to do it — and the NCAA doesn't change the rule — we're going to do it."
