Sooners pick an old guy... and he QUITS!

I don't know where you are seeing that it says that he graduated from Missouri in 1958. The press release clearly shows 1968. Maybe time to check those bifocals?

They caught the error - trust me, last night it said '58.

I will miss Gene's antics but the Big 12 will enjoy them. He will be missed by WSU.

Have heard as many of 12 players will transfer from WSU to OU.

Good luck Gene, you will be missed.

SHOCKING... but TRUE --- Stephenson has now quit before he even started!

Idiots at OU should have given the job to Gollaway to begin with... their team played much better under him at the end of the year and even made the NCAA tourney.

Here's the link to the story from WSU...

http://goshockers.com/baseball.aspx

This is a real "Shocker" but coaches are allowed to do this. Players are bound by an NLI but coaches can come and go as they please. I wonder if the 12 players that were going to transfer will be punished for requesting a transfer. NCAA will probabaly make them set out a year at WSU if they have already signed a request. Stephenson has proven he is a true "Sooner". He quit "sooner" than anyone else in OU history.
Fungo

I have a "Sooner" dog.

He'd "Sooner" poop on the floor than go outside.

Another article in the Wichita Eagle.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/12110407.htm

Could OU be headed for NCAA sanctions?

Most schools offer well over what they have to give and then cut players.

quote:

Most schools offer well over what they have to give and then cut players.

True, but isn't the scholarship good for one year if they have signed the NLI, whether they are cut or not? The way I read it, it didn't look like a case of over-recruiting.

Another article says it could take up to three years to fix the scholarship problem.

http://www.kansas.com/mld/kansas/sports/columnists/bob_lutz/12110410.htm

wow!

not if they are cut in the fall and forced to local jucos, etc.

It is fairly common to over recruit and determine where everyone falls in after the draft and then the fall practices.

They don't have much of a choice with only 11.7 scholarships for a roster of between 25 and 35. Makes it real tough for the mid-majors and "minor" conferences, that is why you don't see too many of them going very far in the D 1 tourney.

Problem is, not everyone is up front because they don't want to scare off the kids and their parents. Then when they do the things that are best for their program, feelings are hurt. Really a tough situation all around. That is why the JUCO's are really flourishing and are a great alternative for the first 2 years.

The problem is once you sign a kid to a scholarship you are stuck with it for a year. Big difference between over recruiting and over signing.

Scholarships are for 1 year not semisters. With most D-1 schools, you sign for an unspecified amount of money. I was guaranteed $x, but was told it could go up depending on alot of factors. I suspect the guaranteed $x, exceeded the 11.5 and would cause the coaching staff to get a player to voluntary give up the money. That will likely cost you scholarship money in the future.

Many kids are offered "guaranteed walk on spots" for the fall. Any potential money comes after all the permeations of the roster (red-shirt, leave after the fall, etc...) I know where some kids who were getting money, left after the fall semester.

Exactly big dog, alot can happen...and usually does...from summertime to the beginning of the spring semester.

I agree about the "guaranteed walk-ons." WSU does that I would garantee. That is what makes the OU situation so unique. I have to wonder what they did that could not be undone throughout the fall. It sounds to me like more than "guaranteed walk-ons." That doesn't count as scholarship.

Those players just don't leave, they are told not to come back. I have heard that Gene was going to bring 6 kids with him and the way the scholarships were doled out at OU there was no wiggle room to bring those guys in on scholarship. The 6 guys were out of state kids and you know what out of state fees cost. Also, Gene is the type of guy who would cut a kid this late since most schools have there kids and scholarships handed out. Whoevr OU brings in will have his hands full. I can't approve of what he did too WSU or OU but we are happy to have gene back. Plus if Gene left he would have missed our fall trip to Cuba where we play the Cuba Nationa Team.

Don't know how it is done everywhere else, but 1 program that I have been around alot used to approach their upper classmen and ask them to give up either all or part of their scholarship money.

Now, when you win like they did, you can do that and kids stay loyal to the program. Obviously, that approach would not work everywhere. This place is very unique, and believe it or not, it worked out more than it did not. Oh, it is a state school and is very, very inexpensive to go there if you are in state. There, 11.7 went a very long way.

Gene, Gene....the dancing machine!