Odom, colleagues address satellite camps

The sitcom-like 'Will they or won't they?' romance between the NCAA and satellite camps has officially reached an end, with the temporary ban on off-campus recruiting events lifted. Now, the SEC -- one of the major powers trying to ban these events -- is planning on joining the fray.

During Wednesday's SEC East coaches' teleconference, each coach was asked about satellite camps and their plans. Not many gave specifics.

Three coaches listed states in which they will hold camps. Missouri's Barry Odom specifically said Dallas as one of four or five camps in Texas, while also listing Mississippi, Georgia and Florida, as well as camps in St. Louis and Kansas City. When asked specifically about camps in Big 10 country, Odom said those are a work in progress, but cited Missouri's alumni base in Chicago as a desirable destination.

Based on the above graphic circulating on Twitter, it appears that Missouri's 4-5 dates in Texas will be as part of a mega-camp, co-hosted by Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Ole Miss among others, which will take place in Belton, San Antonio, Houston, Tyler and Dallas.

Sources to PowerMizzou.com and the North Carolina State Rivals.com site said that the Tigers and Wolfpack are planning to co-host a camp in Atlanta this summer.

Kentucky's Mark Stoops said the Wildcats are looking to get into Florida, Georgia and Ohio, which fit with their geographical recruiting footprint. South Carolina's Will Muschamp specifically mentioned North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

But, in what was most likely a talking point handed down from the league office, each coach pivoted satellite camp answers into discussing the importance of getting recruits to on-campus camps.

"We think it's very, very important to, number one, to stay on our campus and get prospects on our camps," Odom said. "We've got an unbelievable set-up here for kids to see, to get around our coaching staff and to get coached by them, so I'm looking forward to that, number one."

With the departure of the Rams to Los Angeles, Barry Odom was asked if that void serves as an opportunity for Missouri to make in-roads with football fans in St. Louis.

"Without question, it was brought up to me a number of times," Odom said, "and has been in meetings and conversations with that topic. I think it's important to us to realize -- and we know and I respect how great of a city St. Louis is, and for us, recruiting for us over the years, it's been tremendous. An hour and a half down the road and you're in downtown St. Louis, and for us, to be able to attract maybe some that are missing out with the Rams, that's obviously important for us and the relationships that we've got in the city, we've got to continue to develop those and obviously I want the University of Missouri to be the team the entire state follows.

"Without question, St. Louis and Mizzou need to be a team together."

Odom was also asked about expansion plans for Missouri's football facility. A big portion of proposed plans had been to add a football facility attached to the south endzone of Memorial Stadium, but athletic director Mack Rhoades recently said that focus has shifted more toward the training center across Providence Road from the stadium

While Odom didn't offer any specifics, he said the athletic department has a few possibilities they need to narrow down.

"There's a lot of different plans and discussion about what we are going to do, facility-wise, and getting those narrowed down," Odom said. "Mizzou is very unique in my opinion right now. In our football complex, we have our weight room, our athletic dining hall, sports medicine center, academic resource center, locker room, our meeting rooms, our coaching offices, all under one roof. So when our kids come from campus to the extended campus where our football complex is, they don't have to leave. They've got everything here.

"That's very unique, and we're going to try to build on that. We're going to expand in a couple different directions, and that's one thing you always run into with a building project, is space. So we're going to out and we're going to go up. Really look forward to breaking ground and it will be one of the best football facilities in the country."