Junior College may no longer count against 4-year eligibility limit
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Doesn't BYU always have a bunch of 25 year olds on their roster? I remember when RU played Ball State in the International Bowl, they had a guy that was 30.
Nick, it won't just be some kids who are older. I think it's going to end up that they will all be older. If everyone else is starting their four years of college eligibility at 20, wouldn't you do the same so that you also had the benefit of two years of additional training, physical maturation, and NIL money? This is going to be a huge change especially now that players can be paid.
Change yes. Agreed.
Negative?
Nobody has really said why.
If they are enrolled in the school, what's the problem?
Now we care about having only 18-22 year old students?
Here's a possible positive: kids will have six years in which to accumulate their degree credits.
From the standpoint of the four year schools, there will be a huge short-term disruption: the kids they are trying to recruit out of high school will in many cases go to junior college instead unless they get a really good financial offer from a four year school.
Virginia kicker Matt Ganyard is believed to be the oldest player in Division I this season, having walked on to the Cavaliers roster as a 34-year-old in 2023. Prior to his time in Charlottesville, Ganyard spent 10 years in the U.S. Marine Corps
Here’s two reasons
College is supposed to be 4 years. Now it’s 7
Also, will be a disaster for roster management as you’ll have kids going pro after 1 year of D1 football.
Ok. College is supposed to be 4 years.
You getting rid of redshirts?
No graduate students?
Medical redshirts?
All athletes only get 4 years?
When does that 4 years start?
Once HS ends or once they enter the NCAA system?
Suppose someone can't qualify out of HS? They go prep for a year.
They only get 3 years then once getting into Rutgers?
Roster management gets hard?
So what. Thats what the Athletic Department gets paid for.
To me, that's not a compelling negative.
Transfers make roster management harder too.
‘Supposed to’ says who ? And not any more of a disaster than the revolving door transfer portal rentals now.
JUCO not counting is a nothing burger. Teams will have a few older players. So what. By and large JUCO players aren’t as good. Most better players will get ncaa offers out of high school
We've only begun to scratch the surface of "stupid things!". The Private Equity folks already are brainstorming for next level.
The transfer portal and the unregulated player movement have a bigger effect on roster management.
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NFL rule is 3 years post HS. So yes, they will be turning pro after 1 year at university
Potentially.
Currently players can potentially turn pro after 2 years of playing.
Is that a disaster for roster management?
Is the problem players shouldn't be able to turn pro early?
College is supposed to be 4 years and only a full 4 years of playing time?
It’s not an issue now because the only kids who go JUCO are the ones who have no other choice. If this is the new normal P4 schools will used JUCO’s like the minor leagues and a majority of prospects will go that route. Nobody will recruit HS kids and they will simply recruit JUCO’s and portal
I’ve spoken to soccer coaches who told me they will never sign another HS kid
Mormon missions and military service essentially stop the clock as far as eligibility is concerned. That's why BYU has 25 year olds.
Ok.
Again though, I understand its a change. What's the problem?
Stating that college athletics will be filled with more 20-23 year old instead of 18-22 year olds isn't a problem or issue.
Other than the alleged "college athletics is only supposed to be 4 years and only for 18-21 year olds". Which is clearly not true.
Exactly.
There is literally precedent for college athletics not being for only 18-22 year olds in their first 4 years after college.
I say that is for now. If it gets studied and the right blueblood likes it, they will move the timing. It looks like the days of the late bloomer are over.
Here is a good article that makes two main points: First, it's far from clear that any of the NCAA's restrictions, even the basic five-years-to-play-four-rule, are legal; second, the decision is one more argument in favor of Congressional legislation or the unionization of college athletes. Congressional legislation could give the NCAA an antitrust exemption (or have a federal agency make the rules). A collective bargaining agreement between the NCAA and a union could legally impose restrictions, such as on transferring, that would otherwise be antitrust violations. https://sports.yahoo.com/diego-pavi...dMvE4kxOrv7Jxjka0908cl1t-TsHvb_xfag3IONYq5ULl
"Blue's dead. Franks divorced"Age limit? Looking forward to when a school recruits Blue from Old School.
All we have to do is look to what SEC powers would want.. and that's what will happen. Use JUCO to help decide what players to pay to play without them losing eligibility.. sure, why not, make it so.
The powers and TV networks and advertisers just want to remove all doubt that the brands they sell will be winners every years. No challengers from the rabble showing them up.
This may not be about this one guy from Vandy.. who the SEC would want to beat every non-SEC team it faces.. it is just a test case.
You're certainly right that this is a test case. Players will be filing suit all over the country unless the NCAA caves. It's just like the decision by one court throwing out the NCAA's rules on transfers; the NCAA promptly gave in.
Remember this is on top of all the holdback/reclass nonsense. It’s not uncommon these days for parents to hold their kids back in kindergarten and then they reclass in 8th grade. Insanity.
Yes it’s quite uncommon. 99% of kids can’t be held back two times and still be eligible. You can’t be 19 by I thin August 1st
You clearly aren’t in youth sports or at least not at a high level. It’s extremely common especially outside of NJ. In NJ there are plenty of kids on HS rosters right now that are double-holdbacks with birthdays just under the 19 year old limit. My kids played against 18 year old sophomores this summer from Massachusetts with full beards. Most of the top PA wrestlers are all double holdbacks (I even know a triple). The number 1 recruit in the country, Bo Bassett, is 18 or 19 years old as a Junior.
Yea. Not involved at all. Outside of having coached at a NJ parochial and having 3 kids in sports. 2 already at D1 schools, one at P4 and in the national team pool. We are talking about NJ, I can’t speak for other states rules. To be a double hold back you is very rare.
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I knew a single hold back in my Florida high school long ago: Wayne Wheeler, who went on to play wide receiver at Alabama, the Chicago Bears, and in the World Football League.
There are lots of hold backs. Just not lots of 2 timers. I actually think any parent with even a speck of athletic ability is dumb if they don’t hold their kid back.
Yeah, sure maybe on the girl’s side and I assume you are talking women’s soccer. Which is completely different because they are more inclined to skip a grade or graduate early. Double-holdback is becoming more common in NJ on the boys side as long as the 19 year old date doesn’t screw them. Which I assume will be challenged before long. In PA and the Midwest holdback in kindergarten + reclass in 8th is becoming the norm with top athletes. In lax, some clubs are requiring entire teams to reclass or you get cut. And schools like Lawrenceville pick off top freshmen and sophomore transfers but make them reclass upon arrival.
I respectfully disagree. I don't think it's good for a kid to be in a class where he or she is a different age than the rest of the class. It's also not good for a kid to have to repeat the same academic material -- it's boring as hell and likely to turn the kid off to schoolwork. That's why schools these days almost never hold kids back -- it was much more frequent when I was a kid a million years ago. But of course you're entitled to see this differently.
