A Proposal Based on Success of Super Senior Team

[GTCrew4b]

Should the NCAA consider expanding eligibility to 5 years? That might provide a boost for those teams that don’t rely on a constant stream of top tier talent. Is this something that can happen?

 

[andrew]

I doubt that will happen because it will push football players further away from being "normal" students, which is a big concern of the NCAA's right now with all the lawsuits going on.

It would be tough for the NCAA to argue on the one hand that college football players are normal four year degree students who also play football while on the other hand making a rule change to allow them to stay around for six years (one redshirt + five playing years) so they can have a better product.

 

[GTCrew4b]

I doubt that will happen because it will push football players further away from being "normal" students, which is a big concern of the NCAA's right now with all the lawsuits going on.

It would be tough for the NCAA to argue on the one hand that college football players are normal four year degree students who also play football while on the other hand making a rule change to allow them to stay around for six years (one redshirt + five playing years) so they can have a better product.

I’m not saying force it. Just allow it. If an athlete wants to stay for a fifth year they can.

 

[Techbert]

One, the NCAA only cares for the teams that rely on a constant stream of top tier talent.

Two, it is in the players best interest to only have 4 years of eligibility. If they are going pro, 4 years is enough. If they are not going pro, it pushes them out of the nest so that they can get on with their career.

Three, why stop at five years? Just let them play as long as they are full time college students?

 

[andrew]

I’m not saying force it. Just allow it. If an athlete wants to stay for a fifth year they can.

I know. But presumably you expect plenty of athletes to take advantage of it, so it will still have the effect I was talking about. It will still be a rule change to allow college football players to keep playing beyond the length of time a normal student is in college with no extenuating circumstances, with the sole goal of the NCAA improving the on-field product it sells.

 

[BigDanT]

One, the NCAA only cares for the teams that rely on a constant stream of top tier talent.

Two, it is in the players best interest to only have 4 years of eligibility. If they are going pro, 4 years is enough. If they are not going pro, it pushes them out of the nest so that they can get on with their career.

Three, why stop at five years? Just let them play as long as they are full time college students?

Masters degrees exist.

 

[BigDanT]

I know. But presumably you expect plenty of athletes to take advantage of it, so it will still have the effect I was talking about. It will still be a rule change to allow college football players to keep playing beyond the length of time a normal student is in college with no extenuating circumstances, with the sole goal of the NCAA improving the on-field product it sells.

Haven’t we already jumped the whole college student shark?

 

[andrew]

Haven’t we already jumped the whole college student shark?

The NCAA still sets a cap on how much each school can pay its players (basically cost of attendance). The NCAA is run by the schools, so it's basically all of the schools openly agreeing to cap compensation which is just about the most blatant example of antitrust violation possible.

The only possibly way around it short of a CBA like professional sports have is if the players are considered college students, so the NCAA is going to fight like hell to keep that paradigm around enough to be legally justifiable.