I ran across another of the myriad of NCAA rules designed to restrict player movement between programs. This one has led a University of Colorado running back to be declared ineligible for competition although he is in academic good standing:
Colorado running back Mell Holliday, who burst onto the scene as a walk-on and has been one of the most impressive players in preseason camp, may have seen the end of his playing days before they even began.
According to Holliday on Thursday night, the NCAA has declared him ineligible this season, citing the one-year-in- residency rule. That rule states if a player transfers from a four-year college to an NCAA school, he must complete one academic year before playing or receiving traveling expenses from the new school.
Beginning in 2002, Holliday played two seasons at Wayne (Neb.) State, a Division II school. In the spring of 2004, he transferred to the University of Nebraska, where he tried out but did not make the football team that fall. After finishing spring 2005 classes in Lincoln, Holliday transferred to Colorado, he says, "with the understanding that I'd be able to play."
After tearing through the first half of preseason practices, Holliday was offered a scholarship this week by coach Gary Barnett. In finalizing the paperwork, the NCAA once more looked at Holliday's eligibility, and apparently denied it.
"All the times before my scholarship got offered, my eligibility was fine," Holliday said. "Now, all of a sudden, my eligibility is no good. I've sat out a year and a half. Now, they are talking about I'm going to have to sit out another year. I'm not understanding that."
Holliday works hard in practice, completes his courses, and keeps his grades up, but he might not be able to play because he hasn't spent a year at CU. So much for the concept of the student athlete. Note that Holliday did not make the Nebraska team, but he still needed a release from the NU athletic deparetment. So it seems that when someone decides to simply try out for an NCAA team, even if he's not on scholarship, his skills become the property of that team. Besides restricting player choices between institutions, what possibly could be the intent of this rule?