WKOW 27: Madison, WI Breaking News, Weather and SportsMeyer, Alvarez comment on OSU recruiting practices

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — There must have been a lot of interesting give-and-take when the Big Ten football coaches met at the conference offices today.

New Ohio State coach Urban Meyer faced off with at least a couple of coaches who have called into question his poaching of recruits who had committed to other programs.

Meyer's first recruiting class Wednesday included eight players who initially had said they would attend another school, including four who originally said they were going to Penn State and one each who had declared they would go to Michigan State and Wisconsin. Two others had committed to Notre Dame.

"We had an opportunity to discuss a number of issues with each other and conference staff, including those that have arisen this week," Meyer said in a statement issued after the meeting today. "It should be noted that my coaching staff is in full compliance with our recruiting efforts, and no one on this staff did anything illegal or unethical."

He said his staff would continue to be "relentless."

Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema and Michigan State's Mark Dantonio, in particular, expressed their displeasure with Ohio State raiding other teams' recruits.

Bielema was upset about losing offensive lineman Kyle Dodson, who had said he was coming to Wisconsin but ended up signing with the Buckeyes.

"There's a few things that happened early on I made people be aware of that I didn't want to see in this league, that I had seen take place at other leagues," Bielema said on Wednesday's first day for the signing of national letters of intent. "Other recruiting tactics, other recruiting practices that are illegal. I was very upfront and was very poignant to the fact. I actually reached out to coach Meyer and shared my thoughts and concerns with him, and the situation got rectified."

Bielema did not go into further detail.

Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez -- the Badgers' former coach -- said Friday that there's no such unwritten rule preventing coaches from recruiting players who are committed to other schools.

"Recruiting is recruiting until they sign," Alvarez said. "If we had somebody who changed their mind and came to us, that's OK. Urban (Meyer) was very aggressive, but there is no pact within the conference not to continue to recruit. It's open season until they sign."