The SEC could leave Destin today having banned non-scholastic 7-on-7 football camps from their campu

DESTIN, Fla. -- The SEC could leave Destin today having banned non-scholastic 7-on-7 football camps from their campuses. The NCAA is concerned about the growing influence third parties, including non-scholastic coaches, can have on recruits.

"I think everybody agrees that's not a path we want to go down," Alabama Executive Director of Athletics Dave Hart said. "This past year it was allowed. I don't think you'll see that in the future.

In the SEC, at least Alabama and South Carolina have held 7-on-7 football on campus. A Maryland traveling team funded by a South Carolina graduate was photographed on a yacht during a trip to South Carolina, ESPN's "Outside the Lines" recently reported.

Auburn coach Gene Chizik said 7-on-7 camps can get out of control depending on who organizes them.

"I don't, to be honest with you, know enough of the details in terms of how they're being run," Chizik said. "I think the concern is it could get out of control and we obviously don't want to turn it into an AAU situation potentially."

Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen acknowledged he is dealing with more outside influences than in the past.

"You have to be aware of everybody who has a potential influence on these young men," Mullen said. "It's such a tricky deal. When you recruit a young man, you're trying to develop a relationship with him and everybody involved with him."

Emmert meets with SEC presidents. NCAA President Mark Emmert met with SEC presidents and chancellors Thursday to hear their concerns and provide his observations after six months on the job.

Emmert said he talked broadly about academic progress still needed among some athletes, the financial sustainability of Division I as the gap between athletic budgets continues to grow, and integrity concerns about college athletics.

This was a year of high-profile controversies in college sports, including those involving North Carolina football, Cam Newton, Jim Tressel and Bruce Pearl.

"I think it's certainly the case that we've lost the benefit of the doubt in many's people minds in terms of integrity, and we need to regain that," Emmert said. "I don't know that it matters from a historical perspective whether it's better or worse. If we have integrity issues, we need to deal with it and deal with it directly."

Delay in bowl dates. Because the date of this season's BCS Championship Game remains uncertain due to the NFL lockout, other bowls don't know dates either. Birmingham's BBVA Compass Bowl hopes to keep the game on a Saturday, which could mean a Dec. 24, Dec. 31 or Jan. 7 date.

"We're trying to push for some scenarios to play out in which we'll get approval and be able to announce soon," said Pete Derzis, senior vice president of ESPN Regional Television, which owns Birmingham's bowl. "It's important to announce and start the ticket process."

The BBVA Compass and Liberty share the last two team picks in the SEC. Because both bowls agreed on their teams last season, the Liberty retains the first pick this year if there is a conflict.

Derzis described the Fiesta Bowl scandal as "a black eye to the bowl system." Emmert has created a task force to review how bowls get licensed and monitored.

"My sense is hopefully they'll view the bowl system in a very positive light," Derzis said. "The Fiesta was an aberration. We do an audit already now. From our standpoint, we were in excellent shape because we're closing our books every month. We're a publicly traded company. The irregularities that occurred in the other situation -- not our issue."

Meyer may work SEC games on ESPN. Former Florida coach Urban Meyer is gone to ESPN but not forgotten from the SEC spring meetings. Meyer will be a studio and game analyst, possibly working some SEC games, said Burke Magnus, ESPN senior vice president of college sports programming.

"We have to pick our spots (for SEC games)," Magnus said. "We don't want to put the conference or an institution in an uncomfortable spot based on his history at Florida or otherwise, but he certainly knows the league."

In other words, don't expect Meyer to call Auburn games in light of the Cam Newton controversies last season.

"We'll make sure we're smart about it," Magnus said.

Magnus feels for Herbstreit. Facing heavy criticism from Ohio State fans, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit recently moved from Columbus to Nashville. Herbstreit, a former Buckeyes quarterback, has offered pointed criticism of his university in the past year.

"I know how much he loves Ohio State," Magnus said. "He will always be who he is and he's so passionate about it. But at the same time he's such a dynamic, opinionated, honest commentator and that's one of the complications in our world right now. Everything that gets said gets judged instantaneously.

"That's a really hard position to be in when you're him and caring so much about your school and having to really call it like he sees it. He's the best. I'm sure he'll be good and he'll be happy. But it's tough."