NCAA wrong on Masoli ruling
I had another blog set for this morning but the news changed everything. And that’s good. So here we go:
The NCAA is wrong on the Jeremiah Masoli ruling. Here’s why.
The NCAA has refused to grant former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli a waiver to be eligible to play at Ole Miss this season. Ole Miss has appealed the ruling but it is unlikely that the appeal will be successful. I reached out to Coach Houston Nutt this morning and I would have to say that he is not optimistic.
Here is what I see: You can make an ethical argument over whether or not Masoli, who was kicked off the Oregon team, should be allowed to play right away at Ole Miss. The fact is he got a second chance from Oregon coach Chip Kelly and he blew it. So if you want to take the position that Ole Miss should not have taken the kid in the first place, I respect that point of view.
But this is not an ethical argument. It is a legal argument. There is a system in place that allows athletes who have graduated with eligibility remaining to transfer and become eligible immediately at another school. You simply have to fulfill the requirements, which Masoli did.
Ole Miss will make the argument that the rules do not require the athlete to be in good standing with a team, but with the university where he last attended. Masoli graduated from Oregon so therefore he was in good standing with the school.
The NCAA rule says something about the transfer being for academic reasons. But the requirement states that the transferring student must enroll in a graduate program not available at his former institution. Masoli did that.
Again, you can make the argument that Ole Miss should not have a taken the kid. I’ve got no problem with that.
But I’m not comfortable with the NCAA being able to arbitrarily say that this kid has a legitimate reason to transfer and that kid does not. They should not have that kind of discretionary power.
There has to be a system and a set of rules. You either follow the rules or you don’t. If you follow the rules then the result should be predictable. If not, then you should get rid of the rule.
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503 comments Add your comment
Mike
September 1st, 2010
9:25 pm
The problem is the NCAA has let other (less known) players with the exact same circumstances transfer and play. What gives the NCAA the right to say you can, but you can’t, I don’t care if you both did the same thing….
For those who say he didn’t earn this right, let’s not forget he is a college graduate! How many students who enter college don’t get to say that, much less football players.
MikeP
September 1st, 2010
9:38 pm
The NCAA is dead wrong on this one. Like Mazoli or not, rules are rules. Mazoli followed the rules and should be able to play. Any decent lawyer will have him on the field before their second game.
If the NCAA doesn’t like what happened then re-write the rule for the future but they are stuck with their own creation in regard to Mazoli.
Is TB really MrCFB or MrSEC?
September 1st, 2010
9:42 pm
We’ll find out tomorrow.
MrCFB would have a blog about the Big 10 (+2) split into divisions with OSU and UM in different divisions but still meeting at the end of November.
MrSEC will have a blog about the big So Carolina – So Mississippi game.
I know what my bet is
Va Dawg
September 1st, 2010
9:43 pm
A rule is a rule. Follow it or change it but don’t manipulate it for your own benefit. Leave that to the Republican Party.
jack bull
September 1st, 2010
9:50 pm
the thing they got wrong is, the timing of the decision…one more thing they have gotten wrong is the timing of this inquiry of players/agents.. not letting coaches know anything on the eve of college football is just wrong, plain and simple..i say we flood em with as many emails as possible letting them know how we, the fans, feel about it…whadda ya think Tony???
JB
September 1st, 2010
9:53 pm
No way should this kid get a chance to play. He’s been a problem since day one and should not get the benefits that other student athletes, who do the right thing, get. He was suspended from Oregon and should have to serve that penalty regardless of what this “kid” wants to do.
He’s had too many chances. If the theft was a first offense, fine, we’ve all made bad decisions, but this is a pattern. Just because he’s got athletic skills does not mean he should be put above the normal standards. I may not agree with the NCAA on many of their rulings, but this guy has no business to be given the opportunity to get away with no repercussions.
He’s a cancer to any program. He’ll be the same at Ole Miss.
Virginia Dog
September 1st, 2010
9:58 pm
I am not sure that posters are reading what Tony is saying before commenting. I agree totally with him. I am very disappointed in Houston McNutt for allowing this situation to occur. But that being said, Masoli has met the NCAA requirements and should be allowed to play (although it goes against my beliefs) and how could they wait until a couple of days before the season starts to make this decision. If the NCAA does not like their own rules then they should change them. But until that occurs they need to follow them.
jack bull
September 1st, 2010
9:58 pm
Va Dawg, that last line was pretty funny, i almost choked,,, you were being facetious, right??? please tell me you were being facetious..
tiger7_88
September 1st, 2010
10:09 pm
Dear Dumb-arse Barnhart:
The rule is provided for those student-athletes that choose a field of graduate study that is NOT offered at their current school. If it is offered and they transfer, they must sit out a year.
Masoli was ALREADY enrolled in graduate school at Oregon. Ergo, the graduate study he chose is offered at Oregon. When he chose Ole Miss, he chose it because of FOOTBALL, not because of his chosen field of graduate study.
Thus, like all other athletes that transfer because of FOOTBALL, he must sit out a year.
Considering the vast amount of dumb-arsedness that you exhibit, it is without a doubt that you are a thUGa grad.
crabapplejoe
September 1st, 2010
10:17 pm
When Sam McGuffie transferred from Michigan to Rice to be closer to his family he had to sit out a year…..why should this little ciminal/burglar Masoli get special treatment? He’s lucky he’s not in jail in Oregon.
Reb1
September 1st, 2010
10:23 pm
Masoli is not on scholarship with Ole Miss…he is a walk on. Bet Masoli would be playing Saturday if he were in Tuscaloosa or Gainesville.
TedSands
September 1st, 2010
11:01 pm
CARDFAN – You are wrong. It is not in the NCAA charter , bylaws, and rules pertaining to granting eligibility to collect facts and but then make subjective rulings. It is clear they are to enfore their own rules and policies – not make them up as they go or arbitrarily alter them to fit different circumstances. This is a case where they only had to look at the eligibility requirments, say check, check and check, and rubber stamp it. This is a case where outside influences cried like babies and the NCAA in turn felt the pressure but then acted egregiously. They messed this one up plain and simple.
ViningsDAwg
September 1st, 2010
11:04 pm
The intent of the rule is to allow additional academic achievement not achievement toward moving to NFL.
TONY, do you really believe that Masoli would ever step into a classroom this fall? Tell the truth! This is why the NCAA blcked his request and the important word here is request. There is no rule saying he could do this. He could REQUEST a transfer not automatically expect one.
Referee
September 1st, 2010
11:07 pm
JB,
You must not have read the article. First of all Masoli’s criminal misdeeds have zero relevance to the topic at hand. Secondly, if you wanted to bring it into the discussion there were several other players who had done criminal misdeeds and used this same rule. Why did they get eligibility after being booted from their teams but Masoli doesn’t?
tiger_7 88,
You sir are the dumb arse. Does Masoli not have the right to change what he wants to earn a masters degree in? Idiot! The idea that he is going to Ole Miss solely for football is your opinion. You can’t prove it because you are not a mind reader. Additionally, when Greg Paulus of Duke used this rule last year he basically went football school shopping. Why did he get to use the rule when it was obvious he was doing this solely to play football? Ever think of that genius? No? I didn’t think you did.
crabapple joe,
Sam Guffie transferring before graduating and sitting out a year is an entirely different situation. Idiot. Its apples and oranges and this rule applies to people who graduate and have a yer of eligibility left and want to pursue a masters.
Referee
September 1st, 2010
11:09 pm
“TONY, do you really believe that Masoli would ever step into a classroom this fall?”
ViningsDawg,
Just another idiot. Masoli completed his undergrad in 3 years. He may be a criminal but he is not an idiot. That would be you sir.
TedSands
September 1st, 2010
11:31 pm
It is simply amazing that folks cannot seperate Masoli’s “thug” nature and how the decision of the NCAA should have gone down. Go splash water on your face and do your home work. The NCAA is not supposed to create rules and requirements around elgibility and act upon them for some and not for others – WITH THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES!!!
Read the following as this is th weak argument the NCAA made in trying to defend their waiver decison:
….”In its decision, the NCAA staff noted Masoli was unable to participate at Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver opportunity. The waiver process exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer to pursue graduate studies for academic reasons. The staff reasoned that the intent was not for student-athletes to avoid disciplinary measures at another university.”….
The stated rule in the NCAA handbook is:
…..14.5.1.3 Disciplinary Suspension.
A student who transfers to any NCAA institution from a collegiate institution while the student is disqualified or suspended from the previous institution for disciplinary reasons (as opposed to academic reasons). Okay, the issue is what constitutes “disqualified or suspended from the previous institution for disciplinary reasons”.. Was Masoli disqualified from the institution known as the University of Oregon?? No, but that’s the reasonable interpretation one would make after reading the citation verbatim.
Okay, while we’re on the topic of dismissals from institutions or teams, what about the case of Kenneth Cooper??
The interesting part is that Cooper was dismissed from the Louisiana Tech team after 15 games. He stayed at LA Tech that semester to complete his undergrad degree, then transferred to UAB so he could gain immediate playing time as a graduate student..
These circumstances likely established a precedent for the Masoli request to be approved, but no… The Cooper waiver makes you wonder about how the NCAA conducts its business. Is the NCAA more concerned about Masoli than Cooper, even though their circumstances are exactly the same??
Anyway, from the article about Cooper:
Cooper and Drake were granted graduate transfer waivers by the NCAA and will be eligible to play this season. They have been attending classes at UAB since August and participating in individual workouts.
The 6-foot-10, 260-pound Cooper gives UAB size and strength inside. He played in 67 games during two seasons with Oklahoma State before transferring to Louisiana Tech. Cooper sat out for a season and played in 15 games last season before being dismissed by Tech head coach Kerry Rupp for violation of team rules. Cooper averaged 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds at the time.
SSMUND
September 1st, 2010
11:39 pm
As an Ole Miss season ticket holder, I’m shocked and saddened by the NCAA’s arbitrary decision on Jeremiah’s waiver. As an American, I’m saddened (but not shocked) by the disproportionate amount of commentors on here who apparently lack both basic reading skills/comprehension and the ability of objective reasoning and thought progression.
Tony quite clearly stated in his column that neither his argument or this issue is in anyway related to the moral and/or ethical implications of Jeremiah’s troubled past. Those things are completely irrelevant as it is not within the purview of the NCAA to involve themselves with individual athletic programs’ disciplinary decisions or actions as they relate to athletes violating team rules. Nor is it within the NCAA’s purview to involve themselves in legal issues between an athlete and the legal system.
It is, however, the NCAA’s job to set forth rules by which all member institutions – and their players and coaches – are to abide and enforce said rules. It is also their job to update and change those rules from time to time as needed.
Based on the facts we have, Jeremiah Masoli and the University of Mississippi have indeed followed those rules to the letter. They did their job. Therefore, the NCAA is wrong in its decision not to grant the waiver.
The NCAA, on the other hand, did not do their job – which is to update or change their rules as needed. It has become quite obvious the waiver transfer rule needs amended. Why hasn’t this already happened? And, why, instead of granting a waiver for a player who fulfilled every requirement of the rule as it is currently written and then working to change the rule to prevent similar situations in the future, are they choosing to single out an individual player when numerous other players in very similar situations (10 in the last three years, in fact) have been granted the same waiver with no problem?
Folks, this isn’t even about Jeremiah Masoli or Ole Miss. Look at the bigger picture. This is about a corrupt, supposedly not-for-profit (yeah right) organization possessing zero checks and balances, zero audits and zero oversight that has developed a pattern of inconsistency, favoritism and inequality. The NCAA’s system of rules, enforcement and interpretation is fundamentally flawed.
I’d suggest those of you so firmly entrenched in your ivory towers remember not to miss the forest for the trees.
404
September 1st, 2010
11:42 pm
Here’s what ANOTHER Senior Sports Writer wrote:
The NCAA Got It Right: Masoli Should Be Ineligible at Ole Miss
September 1, 2010 Clay Travis Senior College Correspondent
http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2010/08/31/the-ncaa-got-it-right-masoli-should-be-ineligible-at-ole-miss/
In a move that renders moot all of Ole Miss’ attempted machinations to get former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli eligible for the 2010 football season, the NCAA ruled Masoli ineligible for this year. Masoli can go on scholarship immediately, but he has to sit out a year before he’d be able to take the field as a fifth-year senior in 2011. Ole Miss has appealed the ruling. But, in this particular instance, the NCAA made the correct decision.
For starters, the graduate transfer rule is frequently abused and many players who have graduated in three years have taken advantage of it. The graduate transfer rule allows a player who has graduated from one institution to transfer to another institution without sitting out a year if that institution features a course of graduate study not offered at the first institution. In practice, this makes three-year college grads free agents in their fourth year.
Suddenly, voila, you develop an interest in the one or two graduate courses not offered at your present university. Look around and, wow, it’s offered at another school that has less depth at your position. In Masoli’s case, it meant he was fulfilling a lifelong educational dream by enrolling in the graduate program in parks and recreation at Ole Miss. (Presumably the University of Oregon’s shrubbery is in a considerable state of disrepair). As a side benefit to the educational opportunity, wink, wink, Masoli would be able to take the field for the Rebels in the fall.
All he needed was for the NCAA to approve his transfer waiver.
But Masoli represents a unique precedent. Yes, he graduated from Oregon in three years, which makes him eligible to transfer and play immediately, but he isn’t eligible to continue playing football at Oregon because he’s been dismissed from the team. Put succinctly, Masoli’s situation has never happened before: a player smart enough to graduate in three years from college, yet also dumb enough to need to transfer because of two run-ins with the court system. Included is one guilty plea that left him unable to play football in 2010 at his former university (as he was kicked off the team).
That left the NCAA in a bind. Apply the bogus transfer rule and its fig leaf of a justification — that the reason the player switched institutions was because he wished to pursue a course of study not offered at his present university — becomes even more absurd. That’s because Masoli represents a dual delegitimization of the transfer rule. Masoli is transferring to Ole Miss because he a) wishes to pursue a course of graduate study not offered at his own school and b) can’t play football anywhere unless he gets that transfer.
Quoth the NCAA on the result:
“In its decision, the staff noted the student-athlete was unable to participate at the University of Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver. The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.”
The NCAA made the correct ruling on Jeremiah Masoli and used his particular precedent to avoid expanding the intent of an already abused rule. Sometimes, believe it or not, the NCAA makes the right decision.
Rule otherwise and effectively the transfer loophole rule is expanded to an even greater degree — graduate in three years from a university and you can immediately play a fourth year at any institution provided you aren’t serving time in jail. Read in this light, the NCAA’s ruling requires that the transfer rule not exist as a means to avoid an existing punishment levied at a previous university. For most objective readers, that reasoning makes sense. The intent of the rule matters, and Masoli’s situation was not within that intent.
But, and here’s the rub, that limiting language is not actually in the transfer rule. So does the NCAA exist to formally apply the rules or to functionally apply the rules? And here you could start a war with lawyers. Form vs. function, the Supreme Court’s Antonin Scalia vs. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, what is the job of a person or judicial body when it comes to applying a set of rules?
Ultimately, the NCAA has the power to functionally apply the rules — which is why it has to grant the waiver in the first place. A player may receive a transfer waiver from the general rule that requires a player to sit out a year before playing, but he isn’t guaranteed one. Ole Miss wants a rubber stamp on every graduate transfer — at least in this case, I suspect it would feel differently if Masoli was trying to get eligible at, say, Mississippi State — while the NCAA is insisting on the right to examine the circumstances surrounding the transfer.
The NCAA’s decision, predictably, left Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt all atwitter.
“We’re in the people-helping business,” Nutt said
By which Nutt meant he is in the business of helping people who give him a better chance to win football games. He continued: “We’re trying to make a difference in young peoples’ lives. That’s what we do. I really wish the (appeals) committee would look very very hard at it. He’s done everything the right way.” Presumably by “everything the right way,” Nutt means since the arrest, guilty plea, and drug possession citation in Oregon this past spring.
Despite Nutt’s plea, Masoli’s expressed graduate study interest in parks and recreation, significantly, isn’t at issue. Nor is his ability to transfer, accept a scholarship, practice with the team, pursue his chosen course of graduate study, or play football. All the NCAA has limited with this ruling is the year that Masoli can play, 2011 instead of 2010.
That seems eminently fair. After all, if Nutt really is in the “people-helping business” now he’ll have two years to help Masoli at Ole Miss instead of one.
Plus if Masoli is so enamored with parks and recreation at Ole Miss, he can work on that graduate degree for a year and take the field for the Rebels come 2011. If he isn’t, then he can sit out a year back at Oregon and be eligible to play there in 2011, assuming coach Chip Kelly is willing to take him back.
Or he can leave school and pursue a career as he sees fit without playing college football again. What he can’t do is skip his football punishment by leaping from one school to another without sitting out a year because of the graduate transfer rule. As I wrote last month, I’m not against Jeremiah Masoli using the transfer rule to his benefit, but upon closer examination, I think the NCAA ruled correctly in this case. The only way that Masoli could play football this year wasn’t just by exploiting a rule, but by exploiting the intent of a rule that already exploited a rule. Eventually, that was just too much exploitation. Even for the NCAA.
It’s easy to criticize the NCAA, but in this case that criticism is misguided. The NCAA made the correct ruling on Jeremiah Masoli and used his particular precedent to avoid expanding the intent of an already abused rule. Sometimes, believe it or not, the NCAA makes the right decision.
SSMUND
September 1st, 2010
11:45 pm
ViningsDAwg, considering Masoli graduated in three years, I’d say yes. There’s a good chance he would/will step foot in a classroom. Of course, speculation on whether he would or wouldn’t do so is irrelevant to Tony’s column and argument, which is why you likely will not get the response for which you are fishing.
SSMUND
September 1st, 2010
11:49 pm
Nice work, 404.
Clay Travis is to Tony Barnhart what Ed Orgeron is to Nick Saban.
TedSands
September 1st, 2010
11:53 pm
“September 1, 2010 Clay Travis Senior College Correspondent”
Again another misinformed and unable to reason opinion.
GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS!!!!! THE NCAA IS NOT SET UP TO SUBJECTIVELY RULE ON PLAYER ELIGIBILTY. THAT IS NOT THEIR JOB!!!!
sports historian
September 1st, 2010
11:54 pm
NCAA got it right. He can’t play this season – but he can play in 2011 if he attends class and makes his grades. Caulkins in the Commercial Appeal got it right. Barnhart is WRONG.
TedSands
September 1st, 2010
11:58 pm
Also, just wait until a lawsuit ensues on this one, because it will be coming. Plenty of plaintiff attorneys in this arena are licking their chops.
Phone records and emails of all NCAA officials participating in this decision process will be subpoenaed. Nick Saban’s involement will be revealed, and there will will be heads rolling.
John White
September 2nd, 2010
12:05 am
Maybe it’s just me, but it seems everyone is making this harder than it has to be. I am no fan of the NCAA, but the rule clearly states that the reason for the transfer must be academic in nature. If Masoli had kept his nose clean and not been kicked off the team at Oregon, he wouldn’t NEED to transfer to Ole Miss. Other situations involving waivers that have been granted involved kids that were still eligible and welcome at their previous schools – and therein lies the difference.
william Griffin
September 2nd, 2010
12:09 am
NCAA totall wrong again- just like the Powe episode. The kid transfers,and is a walkon. he should be able to play!!! There are teams in the west that don’y want to play against him.
Rob
September 2nd, 2010
1:58 am
This is a poorly written NCAA rule that has been abused on multiple occasions. The NCAA needs to rewrite the rule. Until then, it needs to follow its own rule. This is not about Masoli’s conduct; it is about the NCAA following the letter of its own rules the way it expects players and coaches to follow them.
Is Masoli interested in a career in parks and recreation management? Look we all know the answer is no, but the NCAA gets to decide which players want to pursue a particular degree for academic reasons and which ones don’t? Really?
He graduated from Oregon. He is eligible to return to Oregon as a student. He is enrolled in a Master’s program not offered at Oregon. He meets the conditions of the rule and should be allowed to play. Again, this isn’t about what his conduct or what Ole Miss should have done. It is about the NCAA following its own rules.
Brian
September 2nd, 2010
2:09 am
The NCAA made the right call but they definitely should have done it sooner. Masoli may be dissapointed with the NCAA’s decision but he should remember how many of us he let down with his string of bad decisions.
tibti
September 2nd, 2010
6:19 am
The NCAA is one corrupt organization. It’s time for the Justice department to open their doors and look in their closets, find out how they come up with some of this bias bull crap they load on some schools. If this had been Alabama or Florida, Masoli would be playing with a big check in his hip pocket. Corrupt corrupt corrupt, the NCAA is corrupt.
Nesbitt for Heisman
September 2nd, 2010
6:21 am
`
” Coolest in the Clutch “
Al Day
September 2nd, 2010
6:23 am
Shut the dang NCAA down, they are a worthless organization that rules with prejudice. They have granted waivers to others that have done the same thing, they are ruling with and obvious prejudice.
chazzo
September 2nd, 2010
6:25 am
It sucks that the NCAA would pull this a week before the season starts regardless of the wether the ruling is legitimate or not. I didn’t like what Nutt was doing with this guy, but this should have been resolved back when Masoli first transferred.
Mike Quackers
September 2nd, 2010
6:37 am
Masoli did everything the rules stated, the NCAA is not following their own rules, making them up as they go. They have never denied a transfer before, and they have had transfers for the very same reason, they are liars. They allowed players to transfer from Utah to play for Urban Meyer, that was not for Academic reasons, they are liars. They are punishing this man and they need to stop. FREE MASOLI!
12-2
September 2nd, 2010
6:38 am
Everything about the NCAA is a secret.
That secret stuff has to end.
Bama Fan #2
September 2nd, 2010
6:38 am
Ole Miss fans I understand your feelings toward the NCAA but blaming Saban and saying Masoli
would play at Bama with the NCAA blessings is complete BS!! RTR
4 jacks
September 2nd, 2010
6:52 am
The NCAA is the most hypocritical organization in all sports. It is in short a dictatorship lead by a group that espouses rulings as to how “they” view or feel about it, not the letter of the law. They have played favorites through the years and turned “their” eyes in many instances for their pet universities while hammering some first time offenders or other schools who are not their “cash cows”. The NCAA deserves very little respect if any and from where I live is percieved as I have stated, which is why all the major conference schools should leave the NCAA and reorganize under a more fair and balanced if not truthful and respectful group. As for Masoli, he is a punk and should have never been admitted in the first place, but hell, it is the SEC, you know, the place where “universities” let diplomas and educations becomel secondary to how many wins we get on Saturdays. Do not crucify me, as this is the perception around the nation that people have of the SEC, and it is a well earned perception that the SEC has cultivated.
TedSands
September 2nd, 2010
8:42 am
Bama guy Your coach was up to his eyeballs in this whole ordeal. It will be coming out eventually. Justy wait.
What’s laughable is if Saban is such a good coach, why would he need to worry about Masoli playing at Ole Miss. Why would he even care?
Bama Fan #2
September 2nd, 2010
9:05 am
Ted get a life!!!
RippleFx
September 2nd, 2010
10:31 am
The academic reasons of the NCAA transfer rule state the program for admissions can’t be offered by the previous school. This means his current field of study (sociology or related). He changed to parks & rec. The rule is meant for them to be able to expand on their education by leaving a university with limited studies in their field.
Landshark
September 2nd, 2010
10:35 am
Ok, we all can agree or disagree whether Rev Nutt should have made the kid part of the team. Ethics goes out the window in college sports. These kids are not there to get educated as we all want to believe. Why do we have the espn rise 150 games on tv and all the recruits being followed during the games? It’s about revenue for schools, conferences, and NCAA. If we are throwing stones, let us look at Free Shoe University, Book Gate, the Phone gate and the many times we heard athletes stealing credit cards. Some get suspended of 3 games and some get kicked off the team after public pressure. I think Masoli should play but suspended for the first 3 or 4 cupcake games. The rule whether we like it or not, doesn’t mention transferring due to being kicked off the team. This is where I agree with Barnhart that NCAA got it wrong. If they want the rule to prevent transferring because you are kicked of the team, write it in the guidelines. Also, the athlete should not be allowed to go to Div II or III to play immediately. If players are such terrible people, they should not play anywhere since this is all about education.
Giggidy
September 2nd, 2010
11:45 am
Tony Barnhart, and everyone who agrees with his column, needs to read the latest statement from the NCAA about this (linked below). The rule is INTENTIONALLY arbitrary. In 2007, the NCAA considered passing a rule that would allow graduate transfers to play provided they met specific qualifications. That rule was REJECTED, because the member schools felt this would essentially create free agents. Instead the rule is that Graduate transfers CANNOT play unless they request a waiver, and waiver requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis to determine whether the transfer is academically motivated.
You can argue all you want about whether the NCAA is applying this intentionally subjective standard consistently. The simple truth is that a no previous case is identical to Masoli’s, and Masoli’s transfer unquestionably was NOT academically motivated.
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2010+news+stories/september+latest+news/jeremiah+masoli+case+brings+attention+to+the+ncaa+waiver+process+for+graduate+students
Dawg Tired
September 2nd, 2010
12:13 pm
Tony – Surely you understand that the “spirit of the rule” is being carried out by finding that a player who has been thrown off his team after pleading guilty to a burglary charge can’t transfer to another school and play right away. You must read the rule in the context of the case at hand. Obviously, if Masoli had not been kicked off the Oregon team, he would not have transferred to Ole Miss. Therefore, he is not transferring for “academic reasons.” He’s transferring because he can’t play football at Oregon. This is not an “academic reason;” it’s purely a “football reason.”
Rick
September 2nd, 2010
1:49 pm
To txfood, Masoli was not going to be on scholarship at Ole Miss. He was paying his way.
JoeFootball
September 2nd, 2010
5:49 pm
The waiver is a request to be granted and has no automatic qualification criteria. It is to encourage academic pursuits. It should not be used to go around one University’s punishment for criminal behavior. Masoli had problems finding a school to take him. If Mississippi had not lost a QB to transfer, Nutt would not gone after Masoli. Nutt had the chance but turned Masoli down prior to the transfer. It’s not like this is Masoli’s only year left to play college football. He can play next year at Mississippi after gaining a year of knowledge from the graduate program he seems to be claiming he wants so badly since Oregon booted him.
Rich Petty
September 2nd, 2010
10:48 pm
Those of you who are complaining about the NCAA waiting until the 11th hour for the ruling simply don’t have the facts. Once they had all the info from Ole Miss, they made the ruling LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER.
http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2010+news+stories/september+latest+news/jeremiah+masoli+case+brings+attention+to+the+ncaa+waiver+process+for+graduate+students
“The decision was communicated to the school within the generally stated three-week time frame for this type of waiver. The NCAA staff received the waiver request from Ole Miss on Aug. 13 and received the final piece of information from the school in the evening of Aug. 30. After considering that final piece of information, the NCAA staff communicated the decision to the school in the morning of Aug. 31 “
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September 3rd, 2010
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John J
September 3rd, 2010
12:23 pm
The NCAA allowed a basketball player from Ole Miss, Oneal Polynice, to play at a Big East school under the same circumstances. He enrolled in a graduate program not offered at Ole Miss when he had eligibility remaining. NCAA is anti-SEC. Look at how long it took them to do anything about the Bush situation at USC. They will always cater to big schools especially in metro big media areas. They don’t follow their own guidelings. It is a bunch of old men arbitrarily and dictatorally doling out decisions to suit themselves. If Ole Miss football decided to kick off a player for whatever reason, do you think the NCAA would enforce the Ole Miss decision on every other school? No! What if it was Notre Dame who wanted him? Case closed!
These players are not slaves or indentured servants! Or maybe they are! They just shouldn’t be!
victor p
September 3rd, 2010
1:33 pm
They rule like obama,they dont follow the damn law
Scott
September 3rd, 2010
2:21 pm
I agree with you Tony! The NCAA is wrong. Other student-athletes from around the country have used this rule to get playing time at another school because they were not getting it at one school. In that respect, Masoli’s situation is like so many others. I like the rule because it gives players extra incentive to finish their degree in a timely manner and transfer with eligibility remaining.
College athletics is just too arbitrary (based solely on personal wishes, feelings, or perceptions, rather than on objective facts, reasons, or principles). The college athletic leadership is not principle-centered. You cannot blame the NCAA, because those officials are not empowered to run a league objectively. What powers the NCAA officials do have has been arbitrarily given by university presidents. The arbitrary nature of university life is why we have the BCS and not a principle-centered playoff flowing from objectively-created conferences.
GTdays
September 3rd, 2010
2:37 pm
Wow Tony, you’re usually right on, but when you’re wrong, you are severely wrong. Ths Masoli kids is a dirt bag. Chip Kelly gave him repeated opportunities to act like a civilized person, but its not in his personality. The fact he USED the rules by finding a loop hole doesn’t change the spirit of the intent of those rules. And surely to allow a kid to transfer without sitting out a year after one coack had enough of his crap is not the spirit of the rules. The only thing that this situation does is severely lower my opinion of the integrity of Houston Nutt. I know SEC competition is cut throat, but circumventing the discipline given by another coach and allowing this kid to benefit from his behavior makes Nutt a complete dirt bag. Absolutely zero class. Recruits should take note of this.
Steve Jones
September 3rd, 2010
3:24 pm
Interesting that the NCAA Appeals Committee has reversed the deciosion on this, and he is now eligible to play immediately. Anxious to hear your thoughts on this. It certainly begs the question as to whether or not they took the “talk” about a possible lawsuit seriously and realized the intent of the rule had been met.