Wisconsin not going to allow spring seniors to return
“In the case of the UW spring student-athletes to which the NCAA's waiver would apply, a substantial percentage of the student-athletes are scheduled to earn their degrees before next spring. In spite of today's uncertainties, we will do everything possible to support our student-athletes as they work toward those degrees.”
Wonder how many schools will also take this approach. As a whole, I can’t imagine this casts a good view on how an institution cares about their current student-athletes to proscriptive recruits.
Any B1G AD who spins some sob story about the financial burden of keeping these players is pathetic. We all know much they make, we all know how bloated the admin staffs have become and we all know how much the conference disburses. According the article the eligibility extension would only affect about 35 Wisconsin athletes and obviously not all of them are going to want to stay. So I say, tough shit, Barry.
Barry Alvarez is a garbage human? This is shocking news.
I continually wonder when the duct tape story involving Ron Dayne will come to light.
What duct tape story about Ron Dayne? This sounds like a good one
Is this like the Larry Lester duct tape story in Breakfast Club?!
Ahhh, Rutgers as they are dirt poor. Then again, it is Rutgers and can't imagine any student-athlete wanting to stay there an extra year, so you are right!
/Thanks Delaney!
Does it make sense for all these athletes to come back? They will have graduated and will need to continue to be full time students for another year to be eligible to play. If they aren’t looking for a masters degree what classes do they take? In a way it’s kind of a waste and I can understand schools saying is it worth bringing them back just to play a sport for a semester? I don’t know if it’s a cost thing just a does it really make sense. It sucks they lost their final year but life goes on and they need to move on with their lives also
Part of the point is that they aren’t all going to come back so the schools wouldn’t automatically be on the hook for every senior in a sprint sport
What about the distance runners, the pole-vaulters, the hammer throwers and shot-putters, the broad jumpers? Or is it only the sprinters that matter?
And even if I was serious in my first paragraph, it reeks of chintzyness on the part of Barry Alvarez.
If I was a graduating senior, sure as hell would want to come back to school. How the hell is hiring ?
Kroger.
I agree w/ K13. We have to realize that college (and life) is not all about sports. Yes, a bad break for spring athletes but were talking about college, and the primary reason to be there is to get an education, not to play sports. Many students will miss out on various college activities, but they won't get an additional year to come back.
It's probably not about the money as much as it's about the spots in graduate programs which are more limited and far more competitive. That's a lot of spots to take up.
April 10th, 2020 at 10:42 AM ^
No one said they should be promised a spot in med school. Just that they should be allowed to play their sport next year. Just like anyone looking at a grad transfer for example, you gotta get the school part first.
I believe Wisconsin has the fewest number of varsity sports in the B1G. That they'd cheap out isn't that big of a surprise to me
I am beyond done with a bunch of AD's at schools that pulled in over $40M in TV rights last year alone complaining they can't keep, at most, 35 seniors around to compete on a handful of teams. As the article pointing out, it's $500k or so. Alvarez get's an annual bonus of $375k; if he decided to forego it for 1 year he'd practically cover this entire "shortfall".
I hope UM does the right thing and let these men and women come back and compete if they want.
Maybe it’s not about money ? Would the seniors count against scholarship counts ?
No, scholarship limits are adjusted to account for returning players who would have been seniors this year. It is about money.
If it is truly about the money, then fuck Wisconsin. They could afford it no problem.
I get this is a complex situation, but this looks pretty weak for Wisconsin.
Seems like Badger baseball players, track runners and other spring student-athletes have good reason to be pissed.
EDIT: Forgot Wisconsin doesn't field a baseball team, but I'm leaving it.
Wisconsin does not have a baseball team.
Even more of a reason for them to be pissed!
Exactly!
Cheapskates.
If I’m a Wisconsin senior who gets shafted out of one final year to compete, but my competition over at OSU, Michigan, IU, or anywhere else in the B1G get a waiver for an extra year, I don’t know how I hold myself back from kicking Barry Alvarez’s door down and demanding an explanation.
Will be curious to see if he holds the same tune in the Fall if college football is cancelled. That is obviously the school’s bread and butter, and something tells me he’d cater more to the football team.
Grad transfer to a school that will let you use the last year of eligibility. Get a start on a Master's.
It's a complex issue and I can see legitimate arguments for not giving them another year. Money is not one of them. Not if you're a Big 10 school. Also spring sport scholarships are small change compared to fall and winter sports, if I understand correctly.
Even before Covid, athletic departments weren't running huge profits. Most of them were actually losing money.
Now with the NCAA shutting down all their revenue streams, they're going to be wildly in the red if they not only continue to pay scholarships for non-competing players but also increase the number of players they have on scholarship.
Are they allowed to grad transfer then?
They should be if they've graduated and have a year of eligibility left.
April 10th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
They all have a year of eligibility left regardless if they took a redshirt season or not.
I get the awkward crunch with keeping seniors another year and having freshmen come in in the fall, but the financial issue is a joke and is only relevant because all of these ADs spend their piles of money as soon as they make it. The Big Ten is riiiiiiich
How would this work with incoming freshmen? Allowing a roster that is 30% bigger ? I'm asking.
The question marks made it fairly clear you were asking.
I think it's incredibly weak for Wisconsin to even mention finances in the story. But I do think that roster management likely is playing a big role.
I don't understand your question. The NCAA made it clear that Spring sport seniors can come back and compete this year - without affecting scholarship limits. So coaches will have to do some coaching to put the best players on the field, seniors or otherwise, while keeping the others happy. Freshmen will have to understand that they need to earn a spot on the field, but will also know that their scholly will not be removed.
I mean, making coaches coach? DAMMIT!!!
April 10th, 2020 at 10:51 AM ^
It's not the frosh I'd be worried about, but this year's juniors. They have been working for a starting spot, and just when the guys above them are supposed to vacate and make room, those seniors can come back and the juniors never got a chance to be the seniors.
I believe all spring athletes get another year, not just seniors, so juniors will be juniors again and will get their own senior year.
Barry Alvarez is not an essential worker somebody should arrest him and also he should shut up forever.
The issue arises with Signed athletes vs Sr's that were graduating. Should that sr who will have completed a degree take the scholarship from the fr? The NCAA in all their brilliance didn't allow for more scholarship athletes for the next season. There simply is no fair way to do this.
Wonder if they will change their tune if this extends into the fall and the NCAA grants the same for Senior fall athletes.
April 10th, 2020 at 10:34 AM ^
Wisconsin already lets their football and basketball players get bonus eligibility. That's why Mgoblog has a running joke on the "Brooks Bollinger Memorial Eighth Year Senior."
April 10th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
No different than not bringing a player back for his or her fifth year. All of the players are eligible to grad transfer.
Wisconsin made the right decision ethically. There's a finite number of spots on the field. If the seniors get to play another year, they'll be taking reps from underclassmen who also got their seasons cut short this year.
Everyone at all age levels is missing playing time because of this. There's no reason why the current seniors should be the only ones to get their playing time back.