The appeals process began last summer, and the NCAA Board of Directors decided to uphold the proposed ban. The process gave the membership the opportunity to vote on it at this week’s annual meeting, and, with only 21.3% of the Division I membership voting in favor of overturning the ban, the appeals process is over. E-mail and fax will be the only approved methods for initiating electronic communication with prospects. (Of course a prospective student-athlete may initiate contact using any means he or she chooses.)

The voice of the student-athlete carried a lot of weight in this decision. Speaking as the voice of the Division I Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Kerry Kenny told the membership, “We believe that text messaging and instant messaging are both highly unprofessional in the recruiting process,” Kenny said. “You wouldn’t use text messaging to contact an employer when searching for a job, and it’s unlikely that an employer would contact you with a text message to offer you the job.”

The Division I membership also upheld a proposed restructuring of baseball financial aid. Squad size will be capped at 35 players, and the minimum share for a partial scholarship is 25%. Georgia president Michael Adams voiced support for the plan.

After surviving the appeals process, both proposals go into effect in August.