In the last couple of years we have seen the NCAA go from a big program lapdog to an organization once again trying to gain control and punish cheating schools and players. I support this wholeheartedly as it really takes away from college sports when teams aren't on a level playing field.

However, this latest NCAA ruling on Masoli disturbs me a little and I believe they might have gone too far. First, let me say I'm not trying to gloss over the fact that he is attempting to circumvent the transfer rule. He got booted from the football team, but not from the school so instead of taking grad school and never playing again he decided to try and transfer to get to play this year. We all know what is going on here.

The rules of the waiver claim for students to be eligible that year includes 1) Graduating with an undergraduate degree and 2) The player must enroll in a graduate program at the new school that player's current school does not offer. We saw this with that basketball player from Bama enrolling at UNC and being eligible this Fall.

Masoli met both of these conditions. Nowhere in or around the rule is student conduct mentioned. Yet, they denied his waiver claim because they knew he was kicked off the Duck football team. That is flat out fucked up. He literally followed the letter of the law and was refused. You can't make the rules up as you go NCAA. If they had a problem with it, change the fucking rule to prevent it happening in the future after him but you can't just deny him to prevent the current waiver from going through with nothing in the book to back up your ruling. To me, it looks like they got all butthurt when they found out he was going to get over on them to me.

I saw where he filed an appeal and I hope he wins. On top of that, they should have told him that was going to be the case before he ever enrolled at Ole Miss and went through camp. Now, they screwed Masoli, Nutt, and the University over on an arbitrary decision. If I was an Ole Miss fan I would be livid over them fucking with my school/team like that.

So where do you stand? Is the NCAA right to deny the claim even though all conditions in the rulebook are met? Or, is Masoli right for finding a way through the NCAA guidelines and using that to his advantage to get to play this year?

9/1/2010 1:03:31 PM

Quote :

"In a press release, the NCAA said Masoli's request violated 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.""

9/1/2010 1:06:20 PM

They mentioned that as the reason why, but nowhere in the rulebook does it say that. They just literally made that up in reaction to this case.

That needs to be clearly stated in the rule if that's how they want it to be. It says nothing about an athlete's intent in the rulebook.

[Edited on September 1, 2010 at 1:13 PM. Reason : .]

9/1/2010 1:09:11 PM

Quote :

"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) must complete one calendar year of residence at the certifying institution. (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97)"

9/1/2010 1:15:21 PM

He wasn't disqualified or suspended from the previous institution

9/1/2010 1:19:52 PM

Ah. nevermind then.

9/1/2010 1:32:46 PM

I would have to agree. Technically, there isn't a rule preventing this, but they should make one.

9/1/2010 1:39:45 PM

The NCAA cleared Masoli to play btw

9/3/2010 5:31:09 PM

Just heard that on the radio.

Good for him

9/3/2010 5:41:32 PM

Quote :

"You can't make the rules up as you go NCAA."

9/3/2010 5:47:25 PM

fuck that lying, thieving coconut nigger.

I hope he gets injured.

9/3/2010 5:50:24 PM

that language is uncalled for

9/3/2010 5:52:31 PM

there are a lot of rumors that lane kiffin did some mass snitching after the ncaa came down on his new program

9/3/2010 5:56:20 PM

i certainly wouldn't put it past him

9/3/2010 5:57:18 PM

I don't like Masoli, and I really didn't like the ESPN article that tried to portray him as some kind of victim.

9/3/2010 5:57:39 PM