I really don't have a strong opinion about this. I do wish he would have let the teams send their kids this year then told them this would be the last year. To make the change that late didn't give the other schools a chance to make other arrangements.
Regardless, people are assuming Fleck made this decision in a vacuum. He may have already been told by scouts that they didn't like coming to this type of pro day with all these other kids from small schools that had close to zero chance of making a mini-camp, let alone a team. He might have been told that he is hurting the chances of his players by having other teams like that at the event.
Either way, I don't think the U having a great or bad relationship with the DII and DIII teams in this state really makes a bit of difference. If they're losing kids to those schools there are bigger problems, and it's not like they've been getting kids transferring up from those schools. Sure, I'd love everyone to get along, but I doubt this affects the U one bit.
Agree. And regarding Slab's implication of selfishness, I don't think anyone is saying that they have an issue with allowing a few recognized prospects from local schools to join the pro day. But when you add 30+ players, it is a significantly more tedious process.
I have attended another D1 school's pro day. They permitted a few outside players from smaller local schools. There were significant differences in the operational aspects b/c of the reduced numbers of the athletes. First, the sequence of events was much more logical from a testing aspect. I have a background in sports strength and conditioning. Sequencing tests in an order from least fatiguing to more fatiguing is important to reliable testing. For example, doing the bench press test, vertical jump, and broad jump first makes the most sense. Bench fatigues the upper body, but doesn't impact running and agility tests that follow. The two jump tests produce less lower body and general fatigue than running and agility tests that logically follow.
B/c of the large numbers at the Gopher pro day in 2016, the 40 was done first and used as a cut test. Two hours later and apparently attempting to make up for lost time, other tests were done in a shot gun start format (like a golf tournament). For most testing, athletes started at a test station, and rotated when everyone at all stations had finished. Scouts were scattered all over. After measureable testing was done, all positions went to different areas of the field for position skill drills that occurred simultaneously. Again, in order to make up for lost time. IMO, DeVondre Campbell was the athlete that most scouts were watching and therefore, other Gopher athletes, got less attention.
At the other pro day I attended, it was well organized, sequenced, and all scouts watched each test and drill of every athlete participating. IMO, this was due to the limited numbers of athletes that were allowed to participate.
So when Fleck says he's looking at it from the NFL scout perspective, the old Gopher pro day format sucked.
