NCAA suspends some of its most contentious recruiting changes

Colleges • The NCAA board of directors wants to take a longer look at its new recruiting rules.

On Thursday, the board suspended the biggest and most contentious rules change it approved 3½ months ago — eliminating the restrictions on how coaches can contact recruits and how often those contacts can take place outside the traditional no-contact periods. All sports other than men's and women's basketball, which have been abiding by that the rule since last summer, will have to wait for a change.

It was one of only two rules changes of the roughly two dozen that passed in January to receive enough school signatures to override the vote. The board has pledged to listen to the concerns of coaches, athletic directors and other school leaders before putting a formal proposal back on the table.

"We are supportive of moving as aggressively as possible while still studying the issues with due diligence," board chairman Nathan Hatch, Wake Forest's president, said in a statement posted on the NCAA website. "It's important to make sure all the pieces of the recruiting model work together to make the most effective change in the culture."

An NCAA spokeswoman said board members were not available to comment following Thursday's regular quarterly meeting in Indianapolis.

The move is yet another stark turnabout in a reform movement that has slowed dramatically President Mark Emmert talked about fast-tracking the changes in August 2011.

Instead, the push for a stipend of up to $2,000 per athlete was overridden in December 2011 over concerns that included Title IX compliance, and the board continues to discuss how to craft a new proposal. Three other rulebook changes were suspended last month by the board because of complaints from the schools, and two — the deregulation of recruiting and a prohibition on live scouting of opponents — both received the necessary 75 votes to be overridden.

The other three rules under suspension would have eliminated the definition of recruiting roles, allowed earlier contact with prospective recruits and eliminated restrictions on what printed materials could be sent to a recruit.

The board did not back down on the scouting proposal. It will now be sent back to the full membership for an online up-or-down vote.

Stuart Holden to rejoin U.S. national team

Soccer • Midfielder Stuart Holden will rejoin the U.S. national soccer team after an absence of 2½ years for its training camp ahead of three World Cup qualifiers next month and for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in July.

American coach Jurgen Klinsmann made the announcement Thursday on the U.S. Soccer Federation's website.

A member of the 2010 U.S. World Cup team, Holden injured his right knee on a challenge by Manchester United's Jonny Evans during Bolton's Premier League game March 19, 2011. Holden returned from surgery to play in a League Cup match against Aston Villa that Sept. 20, then had surgery on the knee eight days later.

The 27-year-old midfielder didn't play again until Jan. 15 this year. He recently completed a one-month loan to Sheffield Wednesday.

Holden has two goals in 17 international appearances and hasn't played for the U.S. since Oct. 12, 2010, against Colombia.

From wire reports