I had just assumed that the articles I read and their discussions of the graduate school program/subsequent residency waiver were part of a "if, then" framework. Most articles implied it was a foregone conclusion that he would be cleared because of the rules and/or precedence. I guess that's what I get for trusting the Clarion Ledger or whomever...
A quick google gave me this:
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/TGONLINE2010.pdf
Here is what the rule book says about residency requirement waivers:
Waiver — An action that sets aside an NCAA rule because a specific, extraordinary circumstance prevents you from
meeting the rule. An NCAA school may file a waiver on your behalf; you cannot file a waiver for yourself. The school
does not administer the waiver, the conference office or NCAA does.
The referenced "rule" is the residency rule requiring you to sit out a year.
That pretty much gives the NCAA the right do do whatever the hell they want on a case by case basis. Precedence has shown the NCAA is okay with transfers motivated for illness in the immediate family and also for grad-school motivated reason (Greg Paulus). However, I'm not quite sure the NCAA has ever waived the rule for anyone where suspension caused the desire to transfer under the presumption the grad school precedence would get them in.
Masoli has 2 years left to play 1. His transfer was clearly motivated by his suspension from Oregon, not by his desire to become a Park Ranger. The NCAA acted within their realm of power, assuming this rule book is all there is to go by.
I retract my original statement...my bads.
Did I just miss the articles that voiced any skepticism on whether he would be cleared or not? Or are my 10 minute googling skills better than any bush league investigative reporting at the CL or anywhere else???