SEC Extra Points: Expanding Player Discipline Standards Is Easier Said Than Done

DESTIN, Fla. — While the war of words between Alabama head coach Nick Saban and Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh dominated initial headlines during SEC spring meetings, the increased focus on player discipline has emerged as the key issue through the first two days of the four-day event. 

The conference stepped out and began to lead the charge in reforming player discipline at this event last year, when it passed the Jonathan Taylor rule that prevents potential transfer players who have a history of sexual assault, sexual violence and domestic violence from being admitted to a school.

Since that time, the SEC established a working group to broaden the definition of what "serious misconduct" actually is. The hope is that, in conjunction with the information received from that group, the conference will continue to lead the national charge to improve player behavior.

"What's come back is two pieces. One: a little bit of a broader definition of serious misconduct that picks up stalking," SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said. "It's really about interpersonal violence beyond only sexual assault. It's still pretty focused. It's not a wholesale list of felonies or anything like that. It's pretty focused on interpersonal violence.

"The other addition is the expectation of certain due diligence work. That expectation predated what I read as an outcome of the report of Baylor University's circumstances. I think at the very end, it mentioned that. What we will do is create a set of questions that will be expected to be asked for information sought from a potential transfer student."

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What likely won't be included in the new legislation—which should be announced at the conclusion of spring meetings on Friday—is the expansion of the rule to include incoming freshmen in addition to potential transfers.

There's a reason for that.

"If you're transferring from a university, you're generally of age," Sankey said. "You're generally 18 years of age or older. You're in a higher-education setting. You're in an environment that could be very different from the one you lived in as a child...a minor. Generally speaking, before enrollment, they are minors, so you might have different access to legal records and information."

Make no mistake, though: The push to build on the momentum that the Jonathan Taylor rule created last year is another sign that the SEC is taking player behavior issues as seriously as possible, while remaining realistic on what hurdles exist from a legal standpoint that could delay implementation.

After what's gone on at Baylor and Alabama's signing of Taylor—who was at junior college after being dismissed from Georgia for domestic violence, and subsequently dismissed for similar reasons at Alabama—a much-needed bright light has been cast on making sure that college campuses are safe.

The SEC is trying to make theirs even safer. But as you will read, it's easier said than done. 

Simmons Allowed to Enroll

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Mississippi State shocked the recruiting world on national signing day when it inked former 5-star defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons over several higher-profile suitors.

But his admission into the school remained uncertain after video surfaced on WCBI (via the Jackson Clarion-Ledger), of Simmons hitting a woman in March. He was later charged with misdemeanor simple assault and disturbing the peace.

On Thursday, Mississippi State announced that Simmons would be allowed to enroll at school with conditions. He will be evaluated by the licensed professionals at the university’s Student Counseling Services and be required to complete any program prescribed by that office. The school also announced that he will be suspended for the first game of his college career.

"Based on conversations our staff has had with school, community and church leaders in Noxubee County, this incident appears to be uncharacteristic of Jeffery," director of athletics Scott Stricklin said. "It’s a highly unique circumstance to administer discipline to a student for an incident that occurred prior to that individual joining our university. However, it’s important that Jeffery and other potential MSU students understand that these type of actions and poor decisions are not acceptable."

On Tuesday, head coach Dan Mullen commented on player discipline while at SEC media days in Destin.

"I think we want to be as fair as we can to student-athletes in making sure we're not taking opportunities away from people who deserve opportunities in people's minds," Mullen said. "But also not making decisions without other students' safety or bringing people that might not be great for the university on the campus."

Jim Harbaugh called Nick Saban "hypocritical" for his stance on satellite camps on Tuesday, per Derek Tyson of ESPN.com. 

Safe to say that term could also be used in the case of Simmons and his enrollment at an SEC program.

The video of the Simmons incident is hardly "breaking up a fight," as it was termed in the emailed release. While the SEC is right in the fact that access to the legal records of minors could prevent proper information from getting into the hands of the schools and the conference prior to enrollment, the video is out there for everybody to see.

Hitting a woman is not OK, and Mississippi State should be ashamed of itself for allowing Simmons to enroll.

No News Is Bad News for Gators

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Florida head coach Jim McElwain dropped a nugget on Tuesday that might have been lost in the noise.

Star Gator wide receiver Antonio Callaway, who hasn't been with the team since January, remains suspended, and it doesn't appear that much progress has been made toward a potential reinstatement.

"Same deal," McElwain said.

When pressed on whether Callaway—who caught 35 passes for 678 yards and four touchdowns, and returned two more punts for scores—is enrolled in the Summer A session, McElwain dropped some news that should concern Gator fans.

"No...no, not right now," he said. "It's being handled."

We're now going on six months in which Callaway—a rising sophomore who's being counted on to be the top weapon in a Gator passing game that desperately needs a boost—has been away from his teammates.

That means no work with quarterbacks Luke Del Rio and Austin Appleby this spring, none planned during optional summer workouts and no development as a player with Florida's coaching staff.

For some teams that have multiple downfield threats to rely on, it wouldn't be a big deal. For Florida, it's huge, because Callaway is the threat. 

The longer this drags on, the more concerned Florida fans should be that the offense won't reach its potential in 2016.

A Devastating Loss

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The one constant on a South Carolina defense that has struggled lately has been the play of ultra-versatile linebacker Skai Moore.

The 6'2", 218-pounder from Cooper City, Florida, has led the Gamecocks in tackles in each of his first three seasons with the program, but will miss the season and undergo neck fusion surgery on Friday in Charlotte.

"He’ll be fine. This is not a career-threatening situation," head coach Will Muschamp said on Tuesday. "This is a very common procedure for a herniated disc. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t heal on its own."

The surgery will prevent Moore from taking contact for six months, but he will take his redshirt, and Muschamp expects him to return to school in 2017.

For South Carolina, it's an enormous injury.

Moore's speed and versatility would have allowed Muschamp to use him at linebacker and at more of a hybrid safety spot in certain situations. Because of that, he was going to be the centerpiece of the defense despite missing spring practice with the same injury. 

Without him, it's going to be a struggle for South Carolina to win games without scoring 30 points. With potentially a true freshman quarterback in Brandon McIlwain, a vastly inexperienced wide receiving corps and a running back group that isn't exactly the SEC's best, do you see that happening?

I don't. 

Alcohol In Stadiums?

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LSU director of athletics Joe Alleva is pushing for the SEC's ban on alcohol sales in general seating areas of stadiums to be lifted, and hopes that it happens sooner rather than later.

"Personally, I would entertain it. I think it's a good idea," he said. "I think it's good for the fan experience and I think it's good for the safety, because people overload before they come into the game. If they knew they could buy a beer in the stadium, they might not get as intoxicated before the game."

The SEC's ban on alcohol sales in areas except luxury seating has been in existence for more than three decades. The idea of allowing limited sales of beer and wine has proved Alleva's theory to be true on other campuses.

Jenni Carlson of the Oklahoman reported last year that alcohol-related arrests before, during and after West Virginia home games dropped 35 percent when it allowed sales in 2011.

As Bleacher Report reported last year, the subject of lifting the conferencewide ban hasn't been broached at spring meetings in a few years. Alleva said that he "hopes" it gets brought up this year. It hasn't yet, according to Sankey, but that could change over the next couple of days. 

"Most likely, yes, in some form or fashion," Sankey said when asked if he anticipated discussion on the topic prior to the close of SEC spring meetings.

There's no time like the present. After all, isn't that what spring meetings are for?

It's unrealistic that, if the ban is lifted, it could go into effect in 2016. But it appears that there could be at least some movement on the topic.

Quick Outs

• Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said that talk of division realignment hasn't been brought up, and Sankey said that the most he's heard about it is in the media and in the press conference room at the Hilton in Destin. "We have a long history of divisions," Sankey said. "It’s worked incredibly well. The chance to be in Atlanta [to play in the SEC Championship Game] means something to both [division champions]."
• The SEC's decision to use a collaborative replay system with an official on-site and a replay center in Birmingham, Alabama, was a smash hit with coaches. "I think it's great," Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said. "With everything that goes on, everybody—coaches, players, fans—want to get it right. The more eyes that are more on it and the more people who are able to review something, the better chance you have to get it right."
• Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops confirmed that running back Stanley "Boom" Williams is good to go for fall camp following offseason elbow surgery.

Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com unless otherwise noted. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Barrett Sallee is the lead SEC college football writer and national college football video analyst for Bleacher Report, as well as a host on Bleacher Report Radio on SiriusXM 83. Follow Barrett on Twitter @BarrettSallee.