Fall athletes get year back

“After seeing how we’ll be screwed up recruiting for spring sports we decided to allow fall sports the same opportunity to screw up.”

- the NCAA

The reality is the programs don’t lose out. The recruits get screwed. So, no skin off the college’s back.

I was naive to even think about the notion, but I truly saw this as an opportunity for the NCAA to learn from their rushed decision this spring.  Just to ensure current college players get all 4 years, many future college players won't get the shot at 1.  It would have been an incredibly difficult decision and the heat would have been heavy, but they could have limited the damage to just college baseball.  I get it.  They made a mistake on a gamble that Covid would end before this fall, but they are not forced to make the same gamble and mistake again.  Ugh.

The same exact deal will be given to college basketball and all college sports.  This was their opportunity to amputate things at baseball.  We now have a trend and that means inertia, so we can now proceed to discussing what seemed unthinkable - it happening 2 years in a row for college baseball.  I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts on what happens if spring baseball is cancelled or truncated.  Can you not follow precedent by handing everyone another year of eligibility again?  How?  Imagine THREE freshmen classes stepping onto baseball fields next fall.  I'm at a loss.

First thought: We knew it was coming.

Second Thought:  Wonder if Barry Alvarez will tell the badger football seniors it is time to move on like he did the Spring Athletes.

Third thought: If I were a 4 or 5 star verbally committed to a conference that isn't playing,  I would be checking my options in the south and midwest.

@Pedaldad posted:

First thought: We knew it was coming.

Second Thought:  Wonder if Barry Alvarez will tell the badger football seniors it is time to move on like he did the Spring Athletes.

Third thought: If I were a 4 or 5 star verbally committed to a conference that isn't playing,  I would be checking my options in the south and midwest.

As if the SEC needs any more advantages in the recruiting game 

That’s a fair point to bring up. The NCAA has perpetually extended the dead period under the premise that it’d create advantages if some schools could have camps, travel, etc while others couldn’t due to Covid. I’m not saying football should be stopped for the SEC and Co. but there is no question it’s creating advantages for them. Why is one okay but the other isn’t?

@DanJ posted:

That’s a fair point to bring up. The NCAA has perpetually extended the dead period under the premise that it’d create advantages if some schools could have camps, travel, etc while others couldn’t due to Covid. I’m not saying football should be stopped for the SEC and Co. but there is no question it’s creating advantages for them. Why is one okay but the other isn’t?

I think the answer is that schools are not going to give the NCAA authority over football.  Additionally, If you read comments by administrators, coaches, etc from the Big12, SEC, and ACC - they felt disappointed, if not betrayed, by the PAC and especially the big10.