How to fix college eligibility nightmares

NBA G League players are going back to college, citing that they have eligibility remaining. Puff Johnson of Ohio State was allowed to play after seeking a temporary restraining order from the NCAA.

T.J. Finley, a quarterback for Incarnate Word, was able to transfer there as it is now his sixth school in seven years. During the week of the national championship, Carson Beck of Miami (FL) told reporters that he has not been to class in two years.

Now it seems that the term ‘student’ is optional in ‘student-athlete.’ The NCAA has lost the plot, and as of now, there are too many chefs in the kitchen with too many different remedies for the matter.

How can this eligibility problem be solved once and for all? Here’s how I’d like to fix it.

Once you’re in the draft, no going back

If someone has played in the NBA G League, they’re done. Entering your name into the draft means you should forfeit the right to come back.

If it’s all in the name of professional pursuits, and the NBA is the way, then returning to the NCAA and claiming eligibility cannot just become a farm system for those struggling to make a name.

When your time is up, it’s up. Hopping back and forth hurts the prospects of freshmen players and Division II and Division III rising stars who transferred in.

A player declaring for the draft and participating in a draft combine still has the grace of coming back if they aren’t drafted or don’t sign the contract when they are, assuming they have remaining eligibility and don’t play overseas.

No temporary restraining orders unless for emergencies

Puff Johnson is the latest example of players using temporary restraining orders from the NCAA as a way to return to eligibility.

Allowing players to game the system is what will continue to set the NCAA back, as the growth of prospects is hindered.

Without getting too much into the legal jargon, it should be made clear that players must have a sufficient reason to call for a temporary restraining order from the NCAA.

Emergency cases must be filed and communicated in a way that makes such a move acceptable. Spoiler alert: claiming remaining eligibility is not an emergency.

Bring back the old transfer rules

Whatever happened to the ‘sit out one year’ rule for all transfers? Now, we see the opposite side of that thanks to players like T.J. Finley and Carson Beck.

The days of claiming a COVID year for extra eligibility are over, as 2020 is now more than five years ago. That being said, it’s time to go back to a time before 2006: no grad transfers.

Even with the Ivy League making eligibility rigid and tough to get exposure, it’s academics first and athletics second. That league has it done right.

Before I receive flak for that, I understand that the pro leagues are the main goal. My only ask is that these athletes at least make it look like they’re students dedicated to a university.

One redshirt year

Medical redshirts are all fine and dandy, but somehow players enjoy the luxury of more than one? Injuries suck, but at some point, it has to eat up eligibility.

Some players use redshirts because of a lack of playing time, but that can’t be used over and over again either.

The redshirt year could be used either for medical or benching reasons, but it should only be used one time.

A counterargument to this is that players can plan around a controlled redshirt year but not a medical year. The real key point is that once a player has gone through five years of school, there’s not much that should be left for them to do.

Require at least one class for all student-athletes

Going back to the point about Beck, classes are what put the ‘student’ in ‘student-athlete.’

The choice is up to the player. Whether it be some unfulfilled gen ed courses or a pursuit of a graduate degree, there should be some effort off the field, court or ice.

There’s no way to ensure the closing of the online class loophole ethically, but in-person classes should be encouraged.

It’s puzzling why former Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones once said, “We didn’t come here to play school.” NIL has made the situation worse, but again, that’s another conversation for another day.

Bryan Portney is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email bep5295@psu.edu.