Freshman Ineligibility

[RamblinRed]

Looks like the B1G is ready to start trying to get the ball rolling on this. PAC12 commissioner was the first one to mention this but it looks like the B1G is going to look at it seriously. Article also has initial positive comments from Swofford. They all make it clear that this is not a go it alone idea. That it would have to be approved by the NCAA and the schools.

The biggest hit in this would be in basketball as it would basically get rid of one and dones. But there would be some impact in FB - imo the SEC would be the conference most impacted. They tend to have the most athletes ready to play physically as FR. This would make all FR have to site out. it would also mean that the top players might only play 2 years (once again I think this impacts SEC most), as they would have to sit out as FR and then play 2 years before being NFL eligible.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ics-to-discuss-year-of-readiness-for-freshmen

I like the idea of swinging the pendulum back some and reminding people they are supposed to be student-athletes.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

Fascinating. Hate to say it but this will give some SEC athletes a shorter time period to play before they are ineligible due to academics or behavior. Some of these guys already have a short shelf life coming in and this just wastes one of their good playing years.

 

[Northeast Stinger]

It would be interesting to see what Saban would have to say about this. He usually is pretty outspoken on any rule change if he thinks it gives Alabama an advantage or disadvantage.

 

[croberts]

Looks like the B1G is ready to start trying to get the ball rolling on this. PAC12 commissioner was the first one to mention this but it looks like the B1G is going to look at it seriously. Article also has initial positive comments from Swofford. They all make it clear that this is not a go it alone idea. That it would have to be approved by the NCAA and the schools.

The biggest hit in this would be in basketball as it would basically get rid of one and dones. But there would be some impact in FB - imo the SEC would be the conference most impacted. They tend to have the most athletes ready to play physically as FR. This would make all FR have to site out. it would also mean that the top players might only play 2 years (once again I think this impacts SEC most), as they would have to sit out as FR and then play 2 years before being NFL eligible.

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefoo...ics-to-discuss-year-of-readiness-for-freshmen

I like the idea of swinging the pendulum back some and reminding people they are supposed to be student-athletes.

Agree that the major impact would be on basketball. I have always hated the one and done. I also think with no minor league football and basketball that the words STUDENT and ATHLETE will never go together in the Power 5. GT is a special place and will always come much closer to meeting that standard.

 

[Whiskey_Clear]

I found the proposition of making this rule apply to select sports awful interesting. And I think the issue regarding one n dones in bball may be driving this. I really don't think it's necessary in football with the current nfl rule regarding years removed from high school. But the nba has no such rule and I think college bball would benefit.

 

[croberts]

Fascinating. Hate to say it but this will give some SEC athletes a shorter time period to play before they are ineligible due to academics or behavior. Some of these guys already have a short shelf life coming in and this just wastes one of their good playing years.

I am not sure I buy the Academic piece of your statement. If you are at GT with a 1050 SAT score in Management or at UGA with a 850 score in P&R which student has the tougher road? They also have around 7 to 10 transfers from juco that will never have to deal with apy. I do buy the idea that the kid in Athens has a greater chance of having his Moms gun with no serial # under the drivers seat being discovered if he has 4 years to hide it instead of 3!

 

[AlabamaBuzz]

Well, this will put a premium on keeping guys in the program and eligible. Can you imagine last year without KeShun or the Austin brothers providing some much needed depth? Due to our attrition and limited depth of top-line players, we could be hurt even more than the factories by something like this. I am actually for it, because I think it is best for the young men/women in the long run, but it will impact us unless we continue to stockpile top-line players and keep them eligible and on the flats.

 

[GTL]

Will this mean the Tech-Georgia freshman game on Thanksgiving day will be reinstated?

 

[Northeast Stinger]

If you are at GT with a 1050 SAT score in Management or at UGA with a 850 score in P&R which student has the tougher road?

You are probably correct.

I was basing my statement on an underlying bias that certain SEC teams are going to have more players struggle academically. Based on that I was assuming that a Freshman, regardless of the school, should have little trouble maintaining a 1.8 GPA. This same player as a sophomore may have a little more trouble maintaining a 2.0. By their junior year they may be having trouble staying eligible and they have only had one good year of playing football by that time. Again, I admit that there is probably a lot of faulty reasoning in all of this but I just picture some athletes as playing monster ball as freshman and being able to show just enough academic progress that they can hang around until they leave early for the NFL draft. Making them wait a year to play could derail that pathway in several ways.

 

[BabyJacket1990]

The NFL needs a minor league system if this happens , Point blank simple. If the MLB has it , why not the NFL?

 

[GTRX7]

This is the most cry-baby, butt-hurt proposal I have ever seen. I agree with others that this is all about the one-and-done phenomena in college basketball. This is not really about trying to improve academics for these kids. Nor do I think it is even about trying to improve the sport. (How is seeing Anthony Davis or Jahil Okafor for only one year as a sophomore better for the sport than seeing them for only one year as a freshman?)

This all comes down to one thing...the Big 10 has been really bad in basketball recruiting compared to other conferences, and especially compared to the top teams. Jaylen Rose had it right when he tweeted: "Kentucky has 9 McDonald's All Americans while the ENTIRE B1G has 7. #FreshmenEligibility." Duke also has 9.

This has nothing to do with the kids and IMHO takes away opportunities for kids who are ready to play right away and takes away the opportunity for other kids who are ready to go pro early to start making money for themselves and their families. Quite frankly, I think the whole thing is embarrassing for the Big 10. Notice that they say they won't go it alone? If they really thought this is the right thing to do for the kids, they should, other conferences be damned. Truth is they don't. They just want to narrow the competitive edge.

 

[Techster]

Sure interesting that this is popping up now that paying SAs for "full cost" of college, guaranteed 4 year schollys, and longterm medical benefits is on the horizon. Wonder what the "long play" is here for the colleges and NCAA because they are certainly benefitting by having true freshmen play.

 

[Oldgoldandwhite]

Would hurt parity, IMHO. Many good athletes go to places they can play immediately. If you are going to sit your first year, may as well go to a factory might be the train of thought. Don't know how it would effect us?

 

[Eastman]

You are probably correct.

I was basing my statement on an underlying bias that certain SEC teams are going to have more players struggle academically. Based on that I was assuming that a Freshman, regardless of the school, should have little trouble maintaining a 1.8 GPA. This same player as a sophomore may have a little more trouble maintaining a 2.0. By their junior year they may be having trouble staying eligible and they have only had one good year of playing football by that time. Again, I admit that there is probably a lot of faulty reasoning in all of this but I just picture some athletes as playing monster ball as freshman and being able to show just enough academic progress that they can hang around until they leave early for the NFL draft. Making them wait a year to play could derail that pathway in several ways.

It would be interesting to know what percentage of Tech athletes become ineligible due to not being able to keep their grades up vs other colleges. While Tech's classes are often more rigorous, I think the average enrollee is also more disciplined but I have no idea where different colleges rank in this area.