5 years of eligibility as the standard?

[Renaissance]

Yahoo.com

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr><td class="yspsctnhdln">Taking the fifth</td> </tr> <tr> <td height="7"><spacer type="block" height="1" width="1"></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> By Terry Bowden, Yahoo! Sports
June 17, 2005 <table id="ysparticleheadshot" align="left" border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" hspace="5" vspace="5"> <tbody><tr> <td class="ysptblbdr2"> <table class="yspwhitebg" border="0" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td> <table class="yspwhitebg" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td></td></tr><tr><td></td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> It's time for a change in NCAA rules.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior.

Four names for the four years it takes to get a college degree. There's only one problem – it no longer takes four years to get a college degree. It takes almost five. Yes, the average college student takes 4.8 years to graduate.

So what in the world do we do about all those students that are in their fifth year of college? First of all, we really do need to come up with a name for that fifth year. However, the main thing is that those students have the ability to use that fifth year to graduate.

And just as we should give a student five years to graduate, we likewise should give a student-athlete five years to participate in athletics.


Several conferences recently have proposed legislation that would give student-athletes five years of eligibility. Under current NCAA rules a student-athlete has only four years to participate during a five-year period.

In college football, this rule leads to quick evaluation of a freshman's readiness – physical and emotional – to play.

If he is determined to be definitely ready, he is moved on to the depth chart and given an opportunity to compete immediately for a starting or backup position.

If a player is deemed not ready, he is told he most likely will be redshirted and is moved to the practice/scout/look/hamburger squad for the length of the season.

However, if a freshman is in between, if the coaches aren't quite sure if he is ready to play or not, then they must resort to a third strategy. The player is given as much work in practice as possible to get him ready. Then, in the first three games (any more is considered a full year of eligibility), he gets as much playing time as possible.

If he shows that he can continue to help the team, he will remain on the depth chart and in the game plan. If he doesn't pan out then he incurs some type of "injury" and applies for a medical hardship – to get a fifth year of eligibility.

Why don't we all just come clean and do what's right for the student-athlete? It takes five years to graduate so give him five years to play football. Let him develop at his own speed.

If he needs the first half of his freshman year to acclimate himself to college life, let him do so and then play the last few games without wasting an entire year of eligibility. If he has family problems in the middle of his senior year let him deal with it without worrying that his college career will be over.

Don't tell me the current "five years to play four" policy is in the best academic interest of the athlete. Most coaches will tell you that when a student-athlete is held out for an entire season, he loses interest in being part of the team and subsequently loses interest in his school work as well. It is best to keep his head in the game by helping him feel that there always is a chance he will be able to contribute to the team.

Besides, look at the changes that have just been made to the schedule. We have added a 12th regular-season game, and we're extending the season into the second week of January. You talk about prioritizing academics. Gimme a dadgum break!

More games. Longer season. Let's find a way where the student-athlete can play ball and go to school. Let's do something that's not about us but about him. It takes five years to get a college education. Let's give him five years to play football.

Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior, Winner.

Terry Bowden is Yahoo! Sports' college football analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column.

[Zurp]

I'm mixed about my opinion on whether to give them five years' eligibility. I almost think, "Yeah - give them the 5th year. Gives me better football." But can you imagine if someone came along and broke the all-time rushing record or touchdown record or interception record in his 5th year? It would be like Mickey Mantel and Roger Maris racing to beat Ruth's homerun record in the "extra" games that Ruth didn't have. For a while, people would say, "yeah, he broke the record, but..." There will always be the "but..."

[HineyBuck]

It's an interesting proposition, but I don't think he makes the case as to why "five years to play four" isn't working. Until that case is made, I would not favor throwing the current system over the side.

[methomps]

Originally Posted by Zurp

I'm mixed about my opinion on whether to give them five years' eligibility. I almost think, "Yeah - give them the 5th year. Gives me better football." But can you imagine if someone came along and broke the all-time rushing record or touchdown record or interception record in his 5th year? It would be like Mickey Mantel and Roger Maris racing to beat Ruth's homerun record in the "extra" games that Ruth didn't have. For a while, people would say, "yeah, he broke the record, but..." There will always be the "but..."

We already run into that kind of problem now that stats from bowl games are counted toward season and career stats.

[cincibuck]

Hmmmmm, one reason it takes an average jock five + years to get through is because playing ANY college level sport on scholarship is a full time job. The athlete's responsibilites are not limited to "in season."

Another reason it may take so long is because many of the athletes given scholarships start out taking a load of remedial courses to catch up. Funny how some of the most academically challenged kids are often gifted outside the classroom.

Finally, I believe that as long as a student is academically sound the school has to pay for his undergraduate degree. I'm not sure on that. NCAA rules may have changed in the last few years. If that is the case then in Bowden's mind the kid is getting a free ride and producing nothing in return for the school. In my mind it's only fair that an athlete be given that "free" year. They earned it.

[exhawg]

Originally Posted by HineyBuck

It's an interesting proposition, but I don't think he makes the case as to why "five years to play four" isn't working. Until that case is made, I would not favor throwing the current system over the side.

One problem with the 5 to play 4 is that some of the players that play their first four years don't make it back to finish their degrees if they couldn't do it in four. Schools will usually keep up the financial aid for the 5th year, but they don't have to. Add that to the players that don't care about school after football is over and you have a decent number of players not graduating.
Personally I had a better chance at playing time the year that I redshirted than the 2 years after that due to injury. Somehow we made it through my freshman year only playing 6 OL because the other 2 of us that were good enough to play were redshirting. I would be a big fan of getting rid of the redshirt and just playing 5 years.

[AJHawkfan]

Assuming they would not increase scholarship limits:

If a school has 85 football scholarships to give, spread among 4 year's worth of kids, that is an average of 21 schollies per year.

If they bump that window up to 5 years, it would bring that number down to 17 schollies per year.

There are what, 117 teams in D-1?

That means every year, there would be 468 kids who would not get the opportunity to go to college - many of whom cannot afford to go to college without the aid of an athletic scholarship.

[IronBuckI]

I like the idea of giving players 5 years to finish school, but if they can't make it to the next level of their sport after playing four years of college ball, then they should take that fifth year to concentrate solely on academics. Not continue to spend a large amount of their time on athletics.