As we all read yesterday, Ishmael Leggett put his name into the transfer portal. It is confusing to some so let me try and explain.....
Leggett has no eligibility left but he and according to Jeff Goodman, approximately 210 others like him, have put their name in the portal in hopes that the NCAA approves an extra year of eligibility for athletes. The NCAA is in essence revisiting the COVID year rule (everyone got that year back) and looking at that model becoming permanent.
In other words, student athletes would have five years of eligibility and a redshirt year so they could be in college on scholarship for six years. The current rule is you have five years to play four and that seems more appropriate.
It really feels like a Hail Mary by these guys because the NCAA, if you believe those who are covering it closely, is not necessarily going to go this route. They are considering it but there are a number of concerns that seem like obstacles to it happening.
And the other thing is, even if it does happen those who have followed this closest believe it wouldn't be a "grandfathering in" type of situation and thus wouldn't apply to the current crop of student-athletes who just had their eligibility expire.
The Hail Mary part of it comes here - if it doesn't happen then nothing changes and everyone that is supposed to be done is done. If it does happen and players from this season (like Leggett) aren't grandfathered in there will be a bunch of law suits and the hope is that a judge would force the NCAA to include this year's "graduating" class. Also, all of the guys in the transfer portal were advised to go in there because if they are ruled eligible they will instantly have lots of leverage to get paid.
Personally I think this is ridiculous. I have no issue with guys who want to play as long as they can but college was never meant to be a lifetime career and that's especially true about athletics. The fact we have 25 and 26 year olds playing college sports is stupid to me.
If I were king of the NCAA I will be honest with you, every player would have five years to play four and ONE waiver for a major injury. That means the maximum a player can be in school and eligible for sports is six years. That is more than enough and more than fair and if a guy has two major injuries that is a tough break but it shouldn't mean they can stay in school forever.
More power to Leggett and company but on this one I am rooting for the NCAA to leave the eligibility rules as they are and tighten up some of the reasons why guys can get a waiver
