NCAA implies Masoli request circumvented spirit of transfer rules

As you have no doubt heard by now, the NCAA today turned down Jeremiah Masoli‘s request for a waiver that would have allowed the quarterback to play immediately for Ole Miss.

Ole Miss filed its appeal of the ruling by a 1 p.m. CT deadline in the hopes that they will receive a response from the NCAA as early as Friday, a day before the season opener.  The school also held a press conference to address the latest development, and questioned the decision handed down by the governing body of collegiate sports.

Athletic director Pete Boone stated that there were two reasons given by the NCAA for the denial.  One, “Jeremiah would not have been eligible for the 2010 season at his previous institution.”  Masoli had been suspended for the 2010 season by Oregon head coach Chip Kelly following his guilty plea in a burglary case, and was then dismissed from the Ducks football program — but not the school — following a second arrest, this one involving marijuana possession.

The second reason given by the NCAA, Boone said, was a “time-frame discrepancy between the previous institution and Jeremiah regarding when the institution said they dismissed Jeremiah [and] when he decided to transfer.”  Part of Ole Miss’ appeal will apparently be based on the fact that they believe Masoli began considering a transfer before he was dismissed from the UO football program.  ”Regarding the time discrepancies with the recollections of the institution and Jeremiah, the staff attempted to determine when Jeremiah started thinking about a transfer. This is a difficult task for anyone to try and accomplish.”

Head coach Houston Nutt also stressed Boone’s stance that Masoli was dismissed from the football team, not the school.

“He was not dismissed from the university, which is very clear in the rules,” Nutt said. “He was not dismissed from the university. He was dismissed from the team. I have players that I have dismissed. I want them to go play for somebody else. I want them to learn from their mistakes. I want them to be a better person. There’s no question in my mind, Jeremiah’s at the right place.”

In its press release regarding their decision, the NCAA very heavily intimated that Masoli was not in compliance with the spirit of the transfer rule due to the fact that he had been dismissed from the Oregon football program.

“In its decision, the staff noted the student-athlete was unable to participate at the University of Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to 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.”

And you know what?  The NCAA is 100-percent, absolutely correct in their handling of this ruling.  The rule was not intended for convicted criminals to have the ability to circumvent being dismissed from one program to go play immediately for another even as they may technically adhere to the applicable rules that would grant non-criminals immediate eligibility.

With that said, Ole Miss is feeling very confident that they will win their appeal and Masoli will be eligible to play in 2010 instead of having to redshirt and (possibly) return in 2011.

“It is our opinion that they’re decision was subjective and not weighted toward the best interests and opportunity of the student-athlete Jeremiah Masoli,” Boone said. “We are appealing, and we hope that the members of the sub-committee on appeals will see the reasons that are favorable in our light and for the benefit of Jeremiah Masoli.”