Going to College Early?
August 5th, 2009 - byAn incredible story came out this week from the University of Florida and their 2010 recruiting class. These days it is uqite common for seniors in high school to graduate early and enroll in college to gain an extra semester of spring practice. However, 2010 commit Stephen Alli, plans to enroll in college this week with hopes of playing for the Gators next year. Yahoo Sports writes on the potentially landscape altering move:
But it also opens up a Pandora’s box of eligibility issues. Presumably, Alli still can’t sign an actual letter of intent to play at Florida until signing day in February, like everyone else in the ’10 class; there is no early signing period. Is he eligible to practice? And if he’s eligible to practice, is he eligible to play in games? If he’s actually enrolled in school, why shouldn’t he be? If not, does this year count against his future eligibility — is it an automatic redshirt year, or will he still have “five to play four” through 2014? What if he decides to leave Florida before actually committing his name to the athletic scholarship on signing day — would the normal transfer rules (i.e. a mandatory year on the bench) apply, or would he be free to sign anywhere else that might offer him and play right away?
Technically, it seems Alli is a walk-on (he may be paying his way with an academic scholarship until he can sign an athletic scholarship in February) and as such will probably be immediately eligible like any freshman walk-on, even he’s destined to redshirt. As this is the next logical frontier in the never-ending advance of the pressure to get younger and younger kids committed and into schools earlier and earlier, though, and Alli’s just at the edge of the next possible trend, it would be best to establish a coherent precedent.
Will this lead to players actively trying to graduate a full year early? Will this lead to an array of injuries? Will this lead to players enrolling more in high school summer school?
It’s impossible to see how this will play out, but it is proof of one certainty: College Athletic Recruiting is STILL speeding up. Athletes cannot afford to wait around if they hope to have an opportunity to play in college.
