John Paul wrote:Actually Sonny, he had it right. Our rules, right now, allow someone to retain eligibility at another school if they are getting a second undergraduate degree. It's a loophole that hasn't been closed yet.
Alex, I understand your point. We've been over similar scenarios, and arguments, in our board meetings. This rule is partly based on a historical fear, among some of our board members, of "ringers" from big-time varsity programs coming in for a year or two. It's also based on a belief by some board members that a main purpose of our league is to provide undergraduate athletic opportunities. Tracking grad students who attended the same school for undergrad is very easy, so despite some talk amongst some of the board to close even that loophole, it is allowed. Tracking from other schools is more difficult. There is no real difference, in a practical sense, in tracking undergrad transfers, but I don't think anyone on our board could find a way to justify disallowing undergrads with eligibility the right to play, so our eligibility people are called on to do more complex checks from time to time in those cases. They would have a lot more complex checks to make if we opened up the grad student door, as that situation happens with much more frequency.
By the way, I'm on record in our minutes, and I'll be on it here. I would prefer if we allowed grad students to play as long as they have eligibility remaining and are taking 12 credit hours, regardless of where they did their undergrad work. Try as I may, however, the MDIA is not a dictatorship. I've been on the losing side of the votes on this one every time.
John Paul, the Boards reasoning is ludicrous. Please explain to me how MDIA claims to follow NCAA RULES and then Board Members are concerned with ringers and therefore use this as a justification to discriminate against graduate students yet cannot find any way to justify disallowing undergrads with eligibility the right to play. It is specifically because they are concerned with ringers that the NCAA disallows undergrad transfers the right to play until one season of competition has passed after they have transferred. It is also because this is not a problem at the graduate level that graduate students with eligibility remaining are allowed to play immediately upon matriculating at the University they will study for a graduate degree. If anything the Board should tweak the rules to allow as many graduate students as possible to play especially if a graduate student has never played before as in the example above. That is simply ridiculous in Club Lacrosse. It violates the entire principle of Club Sports under the rules the clubs operate at almost every university. The real reason is because the MDIA was set up with a purpose of not allowing graduate students to play because certain coaches don't want older more mature and intelligent players on their roster. Seriously if a coach at a prestigious super competitive university believes having future electrical engineers who may have had to miss a practice because they were studying for an exam out at the track wasting more study time running laps..yeah right.. do you think any graduate student would stand for that nonsense? No, they would simply remind the other team members that they pay the coach and fire him and hire one who understands the rigors of a super competitive university. That sure is the way to motivate really bright kids to practice and play hard...Oh yeah..... This is why graduate students are not welcome in the MDIA....At the club or varsity level studying always should take precedence over practicing or winning, grad students understand this. This is why many coaches who want to advance their own careers and whose goal is winning alone do not want graduate students. Winning is great but really winning isn't really going to do anything in the long run for a college club lacrosse player. Building a winning program is all about convincing players to dedicate more time to the team than their studies. This behavior however will do nothing for the player in the long term. In fact it is not in his best interests at all, however it is in the coaches best interest. One does not want anyone who might elucidate to the players what their best interests are- playing lacrosse for a good time, great exercise and meeting friends and potential business and social contacts after graduation.Yes play hard and practice hard but not to the point where it interferes with study time. Winning in the Grade Game is all about time dedicated to studying just as winning on the lacrosse field is about time dedicated to practice and to the coach it makes little difference if the player gets an A, B or C , he is still eligible to play but to the player it means a great deal as far as future jobs and future graduate and professional schools. You don't want any grad students pointing this out to young players. I am not saying that all club lacrosse coaches are this neanderthal or self serving but let's be honest this is what the prohibition on graduate students is really all about....
At the varsity level control is much easier because the dirty little secret of athletic scholarships that most people do not realize is that under NCAA Rules and specifically for this reason, all athletic scholarships are on a year to year basis. One does not get a 4 year scholarship, it is at the discretion of the coach to renew it from year to year. MDIA coaches do not at all have this control mechanism since the athletes are all paying their own way and the coach.
