The NCAA got this 100% right

[Frances Drebin]

If Ole Miss folks spinning this into the ground can remove the emotion and look at this for what it is, it is clearly the correct call. The NCAA didn't make him ineligible. They granted the waiver. They just didn't waive the transfer rule. He's not "denied eligibilty" like you are seeing. He just has to wait a year like a normal transfer.

Bottom line, Masoli would've ended his career a Duck if he'd behaved himself. He didn't, and got his *** kicked off the team. So, he tries to use the grad school loophole to play elsewhere. The problem is, he didn't leave in good standing with Oregon. He was kicked off the team. The NCAA didn't say he was ineligible at Oregon, like independencebowlmainstay is spinning it. The NCAA said that he was dismissed at Oregon. He was clearly going elsewhere with the express purpose of playing football, since his current school wouldn't have him. That is not the spirit of the rule.

If it gets overturned, I will be shocked, because removing all the emotion, it's clear that it's the right decision.

 

[Frances Drebin]

If Ole Miss folks spinning this into the ground can remove the emotion and look at this for what it is, it is clearly the correct call. The NCAA didn't make him ineligible. They granted the waiver. They just didn't waive the transfer rule. He's not "denied eligibilty" like you are seeing. He just has to wait a year like a normal transfer.

Bottom line, Masoli would've ended his career a Duck if he'd behaved himself. He didn't, and got his *** kicked off the team. So, he tries to use the grad school loophole to play elsewhere. The problem is, he didn't leave in good standing with Oregon. He was kicked off the team. The NCAA didn't say he was ineligible at Oregon, like independencebowlmainstay is spinning it. The NCAA said that he was dismissed at Oregon. He was clearly going elsewhere with the express purpose of playing football, since his current school wouldn't have him. That is not the spirit of the rule.

If it gets overturned, I will be shocked, because removing all the emotion, it's clear that it's the right decision.

 

[Frances Drebin]

If Ole Miss folks spinning this into the ground can remove the emotion and look at this for what it is, it is clearly the correct call. The NCAA didn't make him ineligible. They granted the waiver. They just didn't waive the transfer rule. He's not "denied eligibilty" like you are seeing. He just has to wait a year like a normal transfer.

Bottom line, Masoli would've ended his career a Duck if he'd behaved himself. He didn't, and got his *** kicked off the team. So, he tries to use the grad school loophole to play elsewhere. The problem is, he didn't leave in good standing with Oregon. He was kicked off the team. The NCAA didn't say he was ineligible at Oregon, like independencebowlmainstay is spinning it. The NCAA said that he was dismissed at Oregon. He was clearly going elsewhere with the express purpose of playing football, since his current school wouldn't have him. That is not the spirit of the rule.

If it gets overturned, I will be shocked, because removing all the emotion, it's clear that it's the right decision.

 

[Frances Drebin]

If Ole Miss folks spinning this into the ground can remove the emotion and look at this for what it is, it is clearly the correct call. The NCAA didn't make him ineligible. They granted the waiver. They just didn't waive the transfer rule. He's not "denied eligibilty" like you are seeing. He just has to wait a year like a normal transfer.

Bottom line, Masoli would've ended his career a Duck if he'd behaved himself. He didn't, and got his *** kicked off the team. So, he tries to use the grad school loophole to play elsewhere. The problem is, he didn't leave in good standing with Oregon. He was kicked off the team. The NCAA didn't say he was ineligible at Oregon, like independencebowlmainstay is spinning it. The NCAA said that he was dismissed at Oregon. He was clearly going elsewhere with the express purpose of playing football, since his current school wouldn't have him. That is not the spirit of the rule.

If it gets overturned, I will be shocked, because removing all the emotion, it's clear that it's the right decision.

 

[ArlngtnDawg]

The big problem I have is they denied him even though the rule clearly states he should be able to play. They (Ole Miss) followed the rules set forth. Of course the rules have never stood in the way of the NCAA doing something else and I am laughing my *** off at my Ole Miss friends but outside of that I still think this is one more notch in the "NCAA is a jackass organization" belt.<div>
</div><div>I can't see how Ole Miss can win their appeal. If he didn't have a red shirt year available I could see a small argument but they are not causing his to lose his last year of eligibility so I don't think Ole Miss has a leg to stand on in this appeal. If they are truly in the business of people helping then they should be ok with giving him a chance to get an extra year of free education.</div>

 

[TR.sixpack]

I think it's ridiculous that it took so long. At least w/ frosh you have a 14 day rule, but Masoli took valuable snaps away from the remaining QB's all preseason. The NCAA makes the U.S. government look like a model of efficiency.

 

[onemorebeer]

But they waited until 3 days before the season started to make their decision. If you've read their response, they could have come up with that in 30 minutes. Their entire reasoning is that how Masoli and Ole Miss used the rule was not the "intent" of the rule. Not what the rule actually said. THey need to be a little more clear with what the rule is or at least not wait until the last minute to tell us.

 

[JimC1097]

[No message]

 

[Frances Drebin]

...but they are clear in their reasoning why. It would've probably been different if Masoli left Oregon in good standing.

 

[AssEndDawg]

<span> <span id="temp-1"><span> <span id="temp-0"><span> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lA_RanSMqIA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="never" height="385" width="480" ></embed> </span> </span> </span> </span> </span>

Why pick on Masoli? He was just using a loophole in NCAA rules to bypass punishment so he could get his 4th chance to make things right. Why so harsh?

 

[therightway]

That is just how they do things. Look back to last year with the Jones and Ingram situation. I think that they announced on Wednesday before the Va Tech game that they could play. I would bet the house that tommorrow the rulings will come out on the South Beach agent party which affects maybe 15 players. It stinks how they do these things but it is what it is.

 

[muddawgs33]

But they waited until 3 days before the season started to make their decision. If you've read their response, they could have come up with that in 30 minutes. Their entire reasoning is that how Masoli and Ole Miss used the rule was not the "intent" of the rule. Not what the rule actually said. THey need to be a little more clear with what the rule is or at least not wait until the last minute to tell us.

signed R. Sidney and D. Bost... While they aren't the same circumstances, the point still stands that the NCAA doesn't get in a hurry to make a decision unless you are a big dog...

 

[ArlngtnDawg]

...but they are clear in their reasoning why. It would've probably been different if Masoli left Oregon in good standing.

I think they made the right decision morally but legally it just irritates me, probably because I have seen them do it to us. He did leave Oregon in good standing, he just didn't leave the football team in good standing. That is the basis for Ole Miss' appeal. It just causes concern when you follow the rules exactly as they are stated and they still screw you. Granted everyone knows exactly what Ole Miss was doing and that it wasn't right but rules are rules and until the NCAA closes the loophole they should abide by the rules they write. I think the decision was a good one for the sanctity of the game but at this point there really isn't much sanctity left so why start being all righteous now.<div>
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[DerHntr]

as a ruling that he has to wait a year rather than how a lot of folks are saying that he was "denied eligibility." i still disagree with this "spirit" of the rule crap. write the rule where it is clear. otherwise you end up with rulings that favor the bamas of the world and screw the little ol MSU's of the world.

 

[OMlawdog]

I thought he was just kicked off the team. I don't know the ins and outs of Masoli at Oregon, but everything I read says he was in good standing at the school, just not on the football team.

Its my understanding that Kelly wanted him to stay in school and sit out the season.If you can show me where he got kicked out of school, well then obviously Im wrong.

As far as the "spirit" of the rule, if he was still in good standing at Oregon when he transferred, I just don't see the reasoning behind the ruling, other than they don't want him to play, which I actually understand.

The bottom line is that the rule existed and Masoli fit within the rule, but the NCAA simply didn't like what he was doing, and so they decided to figure out a way around the rule. Its not the craziest thing the NCAA has done, and basically is in line with what they normally do. Im not really surprised with their decision.

 

[Frances Drebin]

...he left the University of Oregon in good standing. He has a degree. When I say he didn't leave Oregon in good standing, I'm talking about the football team. That's why I think it's the right decision. And what the NCAA did is no different than a judge trying to determine the spirit of the law in rendering a decision, so I don't necessarily buy the legal argument, either. You're saying rules are rules, but the NCAA wrote the rules and are judge and jury on adherance of said rules.

 

[ckDOG]

Then, I read the transfer rule book. I think the media led us on to believe that his clearance was a formality as there was a specific rule for graduate school transfers. Well, the truth of the matter is there isn't such a rule. The rule is that the NCAA reviews each request for a waiver (instigated by the school) on a case by case basis and grants a waiver based on extenuating circumstances.

The NCAA has stated, in writing, that they are going support the student athlete in the interest of their continuing education. That's why they have granted waivers in the past for people like Greg Paulus and has established a precedent for some students wanting to purse a graduate education that their current school does not offer.

Yes, I know what you are thinking..."There's no way the Paulus situation wasn't about education - he transferred from Duke to Syracuse to play football, not to better his education". I can't argue much with that and I would likely back you up in that assumption. However, it's just that - an assumption. I can't speak for Greg Paulus because, on the surface, he's just a guy that wants to switch schools to get a different degree and play another sport in the process. Yeah, I have my assumptions, but I can't back them up with any hard evidence supporting otherwise.

In the case of Jeremiah Masoli, the triggering event that set off this series of events was him being kicked off the Oregon team. Now you have a factual event that motivated him to transfer. Clearly, his motivation was to find another sports team and not to better his education. He had originally planned on being at Oregon this year, so the "Oregon doesn't offer his desired program of study" argument holds no water. His interest in Ole Miss would have never happened had he not been kicked off the team and Ole Miss had a need for a QB. You can put your finger on the suspension and hold that against them as there has been no precedent set for handling circumstances such as this.

Take a step back and look at the big picture. This is a situation that the vast majority of observers and people involved with college athletics would like to avoid. The NCAA acted well within their boundaries and established rule sets on this one. The NCAA made the right call here.

 

[8dog]

the rule says he has to sit out. He asked for a waiver of the rule, which they can deny or not deny.

 

[muscleshoalssound]

the **** in this thing and realize how it makes them look. They sign a convicted felon who has alreadyreceivedand undergrad degree (so it's obviously not Rev. Nutt trying to do good for this kid). They sign him up for a masters program in some sort of Mississippi geography studies class when the guy has never lived in Mississippi just so he can be on the football team, but hey, they are the state's flagship (sarcasm meter off the charts). He has one year ofeligibilityleft, so he clearly has no plans of finishing out his masters program. This situation completely undermines the term "student-athlete", in that he can half *** his classes the first semester and not even show up second semester. How can this fly by the Chancellor, particularly with all the pr it brings? How can anyone take them seriously as an academic institution? What a joke, just like the one-and-done in college basketball.

 

[57stratdawg]

this type of decision before? By that I mean "A guy gets kicked off out of a program, but transferred under a rule that is suppose to allow kids to pursue graduate school degree at another institution?"

The problem is that OM thought they had found a loop hole to immediate eligibility, but NCAA said no. Again, it wasn't like he was told he won't ever play, he was just told that he can't get his immediate waiver.

But don't worry, he needs OM more than you guys need him. So, he'll be there in 2011.... right?

 

[ArlngtnDawg]

the rule says he has to sit out. He asked for a waiver of the rule, which they can deny or not deny.

<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; ">I think you are right. Based on the info I gathered on the most reliable of sources (message boards) I thought it was more clearly defined. It appears there USE to be a rule that granted the waiver automatically but now it is granted on a case by case basis and this quote from the NCAA "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; ">One of the factors our members have determined is appropriate for a graduate student waiver is if the transfer is academically motivated." would basically rule Masoli out because it is blatantly obvious this wasn't academically motivated.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; ">
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 15px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 5px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 5px; ">It pays to actually research stuff before you ramble. I recind my opposition to the ruling for any reason. THey made it clear they didn't rule on it because htey were waiting on Ole Miss to produce some documents which they got yesterday. Looks like this is a nice solid kick in the nuts all MSU fans can enjoy.</span></div>

 

[MStateFan22]

the reason masoli was ruled ineligible was becuase the NCAA stated that his transfer was not academically motivated.

Found this article in 2009 that reads "If a student-athlete wants to transfer and immediately compete as a graduate student, the college or university they are transferring to would need to seek a waiver, because in most cases they would have to sit out a year before competing under NCAA transfer rules and would not have any remaining eligibility. One of the factors our members have determined is appropriate for a graduate student waiver is if the transfer is academically motivated.

Lets see if I can do this right.

I'm sure everyone would agree that Masoli didn't leave Oregon for a chance to graduate from Ole Miss with a degree in Parks and Recreation.

 

[8dog]

The rule is he has to sit out a year. You can ask for a waiver of the rule under the grad school scenario. They can deny or not deny on a case by case basis.

There was a rule 3-4 years ago but it was abolished.

If I were the NCAA, I would simply want to see how many other schools he applied to for Parks and Rec. But really, let's get honest---does anyone really think this was academically motivated?

 

[VirgilCain]

homophone due to a southern accent? sorry, couldnt resist

 

[siverstreak]

that it was selectively enforced. There has been plenty of other instances before where players have transferred simply for the sake of immediate eligibility on the court, diamond, field. Why come down on Masoli now?

 

[8dog]

the following year at the school they were transferring from. That lends at least a shred of credibility to being academically motivated.

 

[trudawg14]

For years State has been getting the dull end of the knife in the back that is the NCAA...Now it finally turns on someone else! It's great, my brother in law is a %%#+ fan and has been complaining that the NCAA was taking too long, well you got what you wanted (an answer)....By the way, if anyone is looking for Egg Bowl tickets I think I can actually hear the %%#+ throwing them on ebay as I type this!

 

[trudawg14]

I think the rule was intended for situations as in a school eliminating a major currently being persued by a player or no longer being offered for any reason....The point is he tried to exploit a rule that is open ended and just all around poorly written, and trying to exploit someone doesn't sit well with anybody(especially the NCAA)...After all, that's half of what's wrong with society today, people exploiting others for their own good hell, the kids been doing it his whole life, or at least the last couple of years of it.

 

[thatsbaseball]

As many rules as the NCAA has you would think they would have one about "student athletes" hiring people to promote themselves in any way.

 

[OMlawdog]

He wanted to play football at Syracuse. The loop hole allowed him to do it. I didn't have a problem with it then. I didn't care that he wasn't motivated to go to grad school at Syracuse.

Eniel Polynice evidently transferred to Seton Hall under the same scenario, and apparently will play this year for Seton Hall. He was suspended at the end of the season and AK didn't want him back, but he is going to play this year, I doubt his transfer had anything to do with academics.

None of these kids transfer to another school to play a sport, are motivated by academics. None.

The bottom line here is the NCAA simply didn't like that he was trying to get around a suspension, so they had to come up with something to get around the waiver thathas been grantedin almost every instance. Same way they suspend players by delaying a ruling by midseason and essentially suspend a player without actually suspending them. They got the result they wanted and think they have found a way to make it legit. Im 99.9% certain their decision will be upheld.

 

[8dog]

how did they "come up with something". They can clearly do this under the rule.

And like I said, the fact that Polyniece and others could have played at their previous school at least lends a shred of credibility to the academic motivation aspect. Regardless, just b/c they may have gotten those wrong, doesn't mean this one was wrong. Its a chance ole miss should have known they were taking.

This is a cut and dry case.

 

[OMlawdog]

So Paulus couldn't play football at Duke, so he decided to try and play football elsewhere, how in the world is that academically motivated?

EP was told he wasn't welcomed back to the team, so he declared for the draft, then I guess withdrew, and then transferred to Seton Hall because he had no other place to go, so where is academics in this one?

Both guys couldn't play the sport they wanted to at the school they graduated from, and so they sought out a school that they could play the sport.

I don't think they got those wrong. This happened before, and they have never cared about "motivation" they were rewarding a student athlete that already had their degree. Now I understand the desire to not reward Masoli, but to argue he was treated the same as these two guys, is reaching.

 

[8dog]

and did it within the confines of its rules.

 

[TR.sixpack]

actually that was pretty funny.

What are we "filling" their pain with?
homophone due to a southern accent? sorry, couldnt resist

 

[OMlawdog]

But if you are the NCAA and you have waived the requirement that he sit out a year previously for players that transferred for purely motivated by athletics, and then you decide to not waive it because Masoli was motivated purely by athletics, well that seems arbitrary.

Now if the NCAA had come out and simply said, we didn't want a guy that was suspended by one football team simply transferring to another team without having to sit out a year in an attempt to get around the original suspension, I could at least respect that, because it would be honest. To claim that academic motivation has had anything to do with their previous waivers is simply not supported by the facts.

It doesn't matter what either one of us thinks at this point, he isn't going to play this season, and we stillhave 12 games to play.

 

[TR.sixpack]

Now if the NCAA had come out and simply said, we didn't want a guy that was suspended by one football team simply transferring to another team without having to sit out a year in an attempt to get around the original suspension, I could at least respect that, because it would be honest.

Doesn't it say that?

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

Or are you saying the NCAA should make decisions strictly on scholarship eligibility and not academics?

 

[muddawgs33]

Masoli was kicked off the team essentially due to getting in trouble with the law. Everyone knows that players transferring for academic purposes is ********, but what kind of message would the Ncaa send if they let Masoli play this year after getting kicked off the team due to him getting in trouble with the law? That's why they aren't granting Masoli a waiver to play this year... You also have to add that the fact that Masoli was kicked off the team before he even started looking at other schools which throws a whole wrench into "Masoli's transfer to Ole Miss because they don't offer his Masters degree at Oregon..." Either way, I'm not sure why so many Ole Miss fans are surprised over the ruling,becausetheyknew there was a chancehe wouldn't be able toplay this year with the circumstances surrounding the whole Masoli deal..

 

[OMlawdog]

I haven't heard anything about Masoli's academics except that he graduated in three years. In fact his academics are the strongest part of his argument. He was in good academic standing.

It looks like they really are just going to deny him because they want to, not based on what they have done in the past. Anyone that will attempt to argue that players that have graduated in three years and transferred to another school and gotten the waiver, were academically motivated, is just lying. I think we can all agree that players transfer to play sports and play sports only. Paulus did and so did Polynice.I don't see why they shouldn't be able to do it. They did their part and graduated, andaccording to the NCAA, that is what is mostimportant. Im sure there are dozens more, I just don't know who they are. I have never heard of one of them being denied.

 

[TR.sixpack]

the key reason why they denied his eligibility for 2010.

 

[maroondawg]

emanresu wrote

Correct. The NCAA site says:

"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."

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/w...ole+miss+studeg-{athlete

Considering he was already enrolled in an UO graduate program by its May 7 deadline, and kicked off the team on June 9, it would be pretty hard to convince anyone that UO really didn't have the graduate program he wanted to participate in.

The fact that he had already enrolled in a grad program at Oregon proves that this was an obvious sports related move and had nothing to do with academics.