NCAA being hypocritical when it comes to Jeremiah Masoli

Dec 29, 2009; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Jeremiah Masoli at press conference for the 2010 Rose Bowl at the Marriott Los Angeles Downtown. Photo via Newscom

I don’t feel bad for Jeremiah Masoli that the NCAA has denied a waiver that would have allowed him to play at Ole’ Miss this season without having to sit out a year like most transfers.

The kid has had his chances and he has blown every single on of them. But that doesn’t mean that the NCAA wasn’t hypocritical in its ruling.

In a press release following the announcement, the NCAA said: “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.”

On the surface, I agree with the statement. Masoli didn’t transfer to Ole’ Miss to further his education – he transferred so he could play one more year of college football in hopes of getting drafted into the NFL.

Don’t forget that after he plead guilty in January on a felony burglary charge, Oregon suspended him for the entire 2010 season. So essentially, the waiver allowed him to leapfrog the suspension at Oregon and play at Ole’ Miss without facing any discipline.

But while I agree with the rule in principle, how is Masoli any different than Darius Barksdale or Ryan Perriloux?

Barksdale never suited up for the Rebels, but was charged with DUI and driving without a license in August of last year, then, when enrolled at Ole Miss for the spring semester, Houston Nutt suspended him for an undisclosed violation. Finally, just before practice began this year, Barksdale was kicked off the team entirely.

Now he’s gearing up to play for Jacksonville State after signing with the team a couple of days ago.

What, because Barksdale transferred to a FCS program and Masoli transferred to a FBS program Barksdale is in the clear and Masoli isn’t? Is the FCS not still a part of the NCAA?

Perrilloux, as you’ll remember, was given the boot by Les Miles in 2009 for “not fulfilling his obligation as a LSU student-athlete,” then resurfaced with the same Jacksonville State team two weeks later.

How is it okay that Barksdale and Perrilloux don’t/didn’t have to sit out a year, but Masoli does? And how many other college players are there that did the same think Barksdale and Perrilloux did that I didn’t mention?

From a football standpoint, nothing really changes for Ole’ Miss. Yeah, they lost a one-time Heisman hopeful days before the season starts, but Nathan Stanley was going to be the starter before Masoli transferred and he’s the starter now.

But thanks to the NCAA, Stanley is about the only person who wins here. Masoli’s career gets put on hold, Ole Miss loses a good player and the NCAA comes out reeking of hypocrisy. Again, I don’t feel the slightest bit of remorse for Masoli, but it appears as though he was a victim of the NCAA trying to take the moral high ground while still standing in a puddle of its own filth.

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