One of the folks I emailed was Susan Tatum, Compliance Director for Texas A&M. The response I received was from Fred Barnes:
knapplc,
I will answer your question on Susan’s behalf.
You asked, “In general, is it permissible for fans to interact with non-signed recruits via twitter, Facebook, or any other social media?”
Because of the rules found below, it is generally not permissible for fans (who often meet the NCAA definition of a “representative of an institution’s athletics interests”--and, even if they don’t, if they recruit for an institution, then they meet the NCAA definition after such action) to interact with non-signed OR signed recruits via Twitter, Facebook, email, letters, or any form of correspondence.
13.1.2.1 - General Rule.
All in-person, on- and off-campus recruiting contacts with a prospective student-athlete or the prospective student-athlete's relatives or legal guardians shall be made only by authorized institutional staff members. Such contact, as well as correspondence and telephone calls, by representatives of an institution's athletics interests is prohibited except as otherwise permitted in this section. Violations of this bylaw involving individuals other than a representative of an institution's athletics interests shall be considered institutional violations per Constitution 2.8.1; however, such violations shall not affect the prospective student-athlete's eligibility. (Revised: 8/5/04)
13.02.13 - Recruiting.
Recruiting is any solicitation of a prospective student-athlete or a prospective student-athlete's relatives (or legal guardians) by an institutional staff member or by a representative of the institution's athletics interests for the purpose of securing the prospective student-athlete's enrollment and ultimate participation in the institution's intercollegiate athletics program.
13.02.14 - Representative of Athletics Interests.
A "representative of the institution's athletics interests" is 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: (Revised: 2/16/00)
(a) Have participated in or to be a member of an agency or organization promoting the institution's intercollegiate athletics program;
(b) Have made financial contributions to the athletics department or to an athletics booster organization of that institution;
( c) Be assisting or to have been requested (by the athletics department staff) to assist in the recruitment of prospective student-athletes;
(d) Be assisting or to have assisted in providing benefits to enrolled student-athletes or their families; or
(e) Have been involved otherwise in promoting the institution's athletics program.
Note - the formatting got all wonky from his email to this post. The underlined above was highlighted in his email, but you can't highlight in this board software.
Regardless, it's very clear that tweeting recruits is a violation of NCAA recruiting rules.
Now, here's the fun part. As mentioned in another of the emails I received, if UNL finds out that a specific member is tweeting recruits, they are required by NCAA rule to alert the NCAA about the activity, and failure to do so is a violation. And since we know that members of the UNL Athletic Dept. frequent these boards, and it's possible one, under some user name, has access to the Shed, they may know now that Army_Allen has been tweeting recruits on behalf of Nebraska.
I'd feel like a world class a$$ if I put the Huskers in a position of having to self-report because I lack the basic common sense of a box of hammers.
EDIT - for the record, that's ten of the 23 Compliance Departments I emailed who have responded. Ten of ten have said it's a violation.