NCAA approves blanket waiver - players don't use up eligibilty even if they play this season
https://twitter.com/RedditCFB/status/1296890780888338432
https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1296887743860088832
And senior who want to return next year can do so without counting against scholarship limit.
https://twitter.com/NicoleAuerbach/status/1296888145376673792
August 21st, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^
You mean the NCAA finally got something right?
August 21st, 2020 at 7:51 PM ^
This won't impact nearly as many student-athletes as we think.
Schools don't and won't have the money to bring all of these kids back for a 5th or 6th year.
Starting QB? Sure. But it's not truly a blanket waiver.
They did the in the spring and 20 minutes later Barry Alvarez/Wisconsin and the Ivy League were like "nah we're good, fuck them baseball and softball players."
Although I suppose they can transfer if their school doesn't bring them back.
August 22nd, 2020 at 8:00 AM ^
Wisconsin got rid of them baseball players a loooong time ago.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^
So does this mean they have to increase the scholarship limit forever now? How do you recruit? Maybe I'm missing something...
August 21st, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
It seems like the seniors who stay just would not count against the limit this one year.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:42 PM ^
So if someone like Carlo Kemp wanted to have 2 senior years, he could as a unofficial 5th year and official 5th year senior.
If I was a senior with a limited NFL future (not saying that's the case for Kemp), I wouldn't mind doing 2 more years of college football. I could start a Master's program and then transition to Graduate Assistant.
August 21st, 2020 at 7:53 PM ^
They have to want you back first.
Kemp...absolutely but these schools aren't going to have the money to keep all of these extra tennis, soccer, and field hockey players around.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:18 PM ^
But all players retain eligibility, not just seniors. So if all underclassmen come back, all seniors come back, AND you recruit an entire class, you'll have like 110 scholarship players. In the offseason you'd lose the "5th" year seniors, let's say 20, and come back to 90, but then you have ANOTHER recruiting class coming in... So now what?
August 21st, 2020 at 5:17 PM ^
Teams are going to have a tough time going from 100 to 85 scholarship players in 2022, but this seems like the best course.
We may end up seeing a bunch of grad transfers with two years (or more) of eligibility.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:35 PM ^
Seniors who take advantage of this won't count against the limit. So every team would have a different max... 85+extra year seniors.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:40 PM ^
Yep.
It basically means that for one year...it'll be like the 1980s when programs could have around 100 scholarships.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
so what do you do in year 2? just kicking the processing down the road.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:18 PM ^
Yeah, but without all the incoming freshmen already committed.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:30 PM ^
I miss the 1980s
August 21st, 2020 at 3:36 PM ^
They should waive those declaring for the draft already too. This year's F'd up anyway, why not?
Come back Nico!
August 21st, 2020 at 7:15 PM ^
That’s not gonna happen.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
Any conference that doesn't play this year is going to fall way behind those that do (SEC). All of those players will get solid game experience and retain all of their eligibility while the B1G players are sitting in their rooms playing Nintendo.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:15 PM ^
This is what I'm thinking too. The SEC will be even more of a powerhouse with some 6 year seniors while we may have to play freshman at DT and CB.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:56 PM ^
How many 6 year seniors on Alabama and LSU? I think this actually helps level the playing field for many of the teams that regularly struggle like the Vandy's, etc.
August 21st, 2020 at 7:17 PM ^
I agree that Bama will have very few seniors sticking around but having all of their other players gaining playing time experience while we sit and watch is definitely going to increase the gap.
August 22nd, 2020 at 12:28 AM ^
In which parallel universe does the SEC (and ACC and Big12) get in a fall 2020 season?
August 22nd, 2020 at 7:20 PM ^
Down south we just played our first weekend of high school ball, and it went great. I think there will be some hickups here and there, but I don't think it's going to be as hard as you all think.
Heck, there has been travel baseball and basketball and other sports for months.
August 22nd, 2020 at 7:15 AM ^
If the SEC plays this fall, we should expect the Big Ten to play in the spring/winter. I think it's more likely the SEC gives up early, but if they can successfully get through a season the Big Ten will follow suit unless conditions worsen with a second wave. That would be bad news for everyone, not just for fans.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:41 PM ^
If I understand this correctly every player who is a Fresh.,Soph.,Junior in 2020 will still be a Fr,Soph,Jr.in 2021.If so Mich will have 60 + Freshman in 2021.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:46 PM ^
Does this mean Robbie Hummel will finally get another year of eligibility?
August 21st, 2020 at 4:30 PM ^
Jess Settles, too
August 21st, 2020 at 4:55 PM ^
I feel Chris Evans will fall into the Hummel-Bollinger club.
If he’s playing in 2021 people are undoubtedly gonna be like “that dude is still at Michigan? Didn’t he play with Peppers?”
August 21st, 2020 at 5:05 PM ^
+1
I was just getting ready to post something along the lines of "Robbie Hummel regains eligibility for his 9th and 10th seasons as a Boilermaker", but you already posted his name to this thread over an hour ago.
August 21st, 2020 at 8:10 PM ^
Evan Eschmeyer is somewhere inquiring about the possibility of a 7th year of eligibility at Northwestern as well.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
As it should be.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
Sounds like a good idea.
August 21st, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
Is the scholarship limit changing in future years too for the next 4 or 5 years? If players get a free year of eligibility, then Michigan would have about 50 freshman next season and that would really add up over time. There is no way teams would be under the 85 scholarship by 2022 if everyone gets a free year of eligibility.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:00 PM ^
Are there any Title 9 constraints wrt the extra scholarships for returning seniors?
August 21st, 2020 at 4:48 PM ^
Only if you are eliminating "men’s gymnastics, men’s and women’s swimming and diving, and men’s tennis"
August 21st, 2020 at 5:41 PM ^
The rule applies to all fall sports. It should at least fall within the spirit of Title 9. In any case, I'm sure their lawyers were consulted.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:46 PM ^
That’s the right thing to do. I’m curious how the finances will work out as far as keeping extra players on scholarship for another year, because some universities clearly have more money than others. Will some smaller schools not be able to afford having extra players on scholarship?
Regardless this is still the right move. I’m just curious how the finances will work.
August 21st, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
Does this mean OSU players get paid twice for the same year?
August 22nd, 2020 at 2:02 PM ^
ha, nice. Was just thinking that somehow they will talk all their stars into staying another year.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
All it means is that no player loses a year of eligibility if they don’t play this year. Which means it’s really not a big deal to miss a year. Which means those protesting parents need to examine their priorities.
August 21st, 2020 at 8:31 PM ^
A missed year of salary in the NFL is pretty huge.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:21 PM ^
What are all these extra year students going to be studying? I was always under the impression that graduate school took some effort to get into and maintain. Perhaps I am just naive to the process. On that note, what do all the graduate transfers get degrees in?
August 21st, 2020 at 5:28 PM ^
Wow, another advantage for SEC and Big 12
August 21st, 2020 at 9:56 PM ^
Well what would you have done? Not given the waivers and fuck guys like Carlo Kemp and Chuck Filagia over?
That doesn’t seem fair either.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:31 PM ^
...so I guess that could mean Iowa a/o MSU could have some 8th or 9th year 30 yr old seniors next year ha?
August 21st, 2020 at 5:37 PM ^
Think of BYU. An extra year plus a 2 year Mormon mission, guys could still be playing 8 years after graduating high school.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:34 PM ^
A couple of takeaways
This rule makes it easier for the conferences that are still planning to play to cut their seasons short.
It also makes it easier to play in the spring. Teams that end up shorthanded, as most will, won't have to worry about burning redshirts.
They will still need to address transfers. For example will a grad transfer after the fall semester be eligible to play in the spring? I'm not expecting them to approve blanket waivers. They also need to address early entries from the 2021 class playing in the spring.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:57 PM ^
Please explain to me how this is not a big F U to the Big 10 and Pac 12? Yes it's great for the seniors but this completely benefits the conferences that are going to play. It gives 5 years of eligibility. How does this affect the record books? It makes career records a little bit more attainable.
August 21st, 2020 at 5:59 PM ^
August 21st, 2020 at 7:04 PM ^
Unless the NCAA has inside knowledge that the SEC, ACC and Big12 are cancelling, this is a BS move. You're essentially giving those guys two years of play for the price of one.
If they wanted to make it fair, they should let guys jump ship to play in one of those conferences, but require that they transfer back to their previous school for the 2021 season. I wouldn't be upset if Giles Jackson had a year at Oklahoma in 2020 and came back in 2021 as a stud 3rd year sophomore. Will I watch Kansas/West Virginia this season? No. But I'll watch if Milton/McCaffrey are the starting QBs.
August 21st, 2020 at 9:36 PM ^
Good? I guess this is good, though "we're making it easier for you to make us money this year" is strong with this decision.