Michigan State hosted Oregon State freshman quarterback Aidan Chiles on an official visit on campus this weekend. Friday night, Chiles posted on X, formerly Twitter, that he would like to meet Zeke the Wonderdog when he arrived in East Lansing.

Chiles’ post set social media ablaze, of course, because Zeke the Wonderdog is beloved by Spartans everywhere and it was a unique request by a recruit.

But was it a request that could be fulfilled?

Unfortunately not.

Here's why, to the best of my understanding...

According to the NCAA’s Division 1 Compliance Manual, all in-person, on- and off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's family members may only be made by authorized institutional staff members.

The compliance manual prohibits recruiting contact by “representatives of an institution's athletics interests,” with only a few exceptions. A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is defined as an individual, independent agency, corporate entity (e.g., apparel or equipment manufacturer) or other organization who is known (or who should have been known) by a member of the institution's executive or athletics administration to:

- Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.

- Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution.

- Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student athletes.

- Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their family members.

- Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.

It would seem to make sense that Zeke the Wonderdog (and his trainer) would be considered a “representative of the institution’s athletics interests” and therefore would not be a permissible recruiter.

There is the possibility that one of the exceptions would apply, so, let’s take a look:

Admissions Program. Off-campus recruiting contacts made by an institution's regular admissions program representative and directed at all prospective students including nonathletes.

Coach Who Is Prospective Student-Athlete's Family Member. Recruiting contact and evaluation limitations do not apply to a coaching staff member who is a family member of a participant in any activity being observed (e.g., practices, contests or camps), provided the attendance by the coaching staff member at such activity does not involve any personal contact with any other participating prospective student-athlete.

Significant Other of Prospective Student-Athlete's Coach. Recruiting contact and evaluation limitations do not apply to a coaching staff member observing a contest that involves prospective student-athletes coached by the coach's significant other, provided the attendance by the coaching staff member at such a contest does not involve any personal contact with any prospective student-athlete participating in the contest.

Established Family Friend/Neighbor. Contacts made with a prospective student-athlete by an established family friend or neighbor, it being understood that such contacts are not made for recruiting purposes and are not initiated by a member of an institution's coaching staff.

Significant Other of Staff Member. (1) On Campus. A significant other of an institutional staff member on campus. (2) Off Campus During Official Visit. A significant other of an athletics department staff member during a prospective student-athlete's official visit and within a 30-mile radius of the institution's main campus during the prospective student-athlete's official visit.

Interpreter. An interpreter present during an institution's in-person, off-campus contact with a prospective student athlete or the prospective student-athlete's family members, provided that if the institution is involved in making the arrangements for the use of the interpreter, the interpreter must be a faculty member or a professional interpreter. It is not permissible for the interpreter to be an enrolled student-athlete, a family member of an enrolled student-athlete or a representative of the institution's athletics interests.

Unavoidable Incidental Contact. An unavoidable incidental contact made with a prospective student-athlete by representatives of the institution's athletics interests, provided the contact is not prearranged by the representative or an athletics department staff member, does not take place on the grounds of the prospective student-athlete's educational institution or at the sites of organized competition and practice involving the prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's team (high school, preparatory school, two-year college or all-star team), is not made for the purpose of recruitment of the prospective student-athlete, and involves only normal civility.

Family Members of Enrolled Student-Athletes. On-campus contacts between a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's family members accompanying the prospective student-athlete and the family members of an enrolled student-athlete.

Former Student-Athletes. On-campus contacts between a former student-athlete and a prospective student-athlete, the prospective student-athlete's family members and/or other individuals accompanying the prospective student athlete.

After reading through the applicable compliance rules, it certainly seems that the only possible way that Chiles and Zeke could have maybe run into each other and not broken NCAA recruiting rules is if they had ran into each other incidentally, while going different places, unplanned, and if the interaction involved only normal civility.

In other words, it wasn’t possible.

Perhaps some day the NCAA and its member institutions will make an exception for mascots, both official and unofficial.

If Chiles were to commit to Michigan State and become a member of the team, he could join a long line of Spartan student-athletes who have played catch with Zeke the Wonderdog in Spartan Stadium:

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