DUKE players granted additional year of eligibility

[Rob Graff]

If true, lots of decisions to be made VERY quickly for 13 seniors.

AND

all underclassmen (with one exception) who were on the team also get another year of eligibility. T-fer if you don't want to sit another year b/c seniors are returning?

AND

What if you are an incoming freshman that expected O'hara/etc to be gone when you made your choice???

Coach Danowski has his hands full.

http://www.insidelacrosse.com/page.cfm?pagerid=2&news=fdetail&storyid=166007

[Brent Burns]

When is the MLL selection? This week? Yep, that surely opens a big can of worms. Seligeman is already on his way to Brown. Finnerty has not made up his mind. Like Rob Graff just said, Dano would have to make up his mind in a few hours, doesn't he?

[Ben Clark]

Wow, it'll be interesting to see what these kids decide to do. Coach Dano might have his hands full, but what a nice problem to have - too much talent.

[bste_lax]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/m ... index.html

[A.J. Stevens]

That will shake up the MLL draft.

[Sonny]

That will shake up the MLL draft.

Can you retain your college eligibility if you don't like your draft position and you don't sign with an agent (ala college basketball)?

[byualum]

I couldn't not be in more disagreement with this decision. Is the NCAA not bailing out the University? The NCAA didn't cancel the season, the University did.

This is a bad decision on behalf of the NCAA...that, of course, is not surprising.

And this begs the question, "What if Duke had won on Monday?" Personally, I think you'd have a different decision from the NCAA.

[NT19]

I think that it is great for the seniors. Getting a second chance must feel amazing. But, I do agree with what Q said this weekend, they played 8 games and the University canceled the season. The NCAA did not cancel the season.

Looks like quite a mess for the MLL draft. If I were with Chicago I might be pretty mad about this decision.

[NT19]

double post

[Sonny]

I couldn't not be in more disagreement with this decision. Is the NCAA not bailing out the University?

Great point. And yes, if Duke wins on Monday - I bet this decision would be reversed.

[StrykerFSU]

And the NCAA is doing what it can to make amends for what was a supremely unfair decision by the university that unjustly penalized a group of student-athletes. Normally I would say that the NCAA exists solely to make money off of college basketball and football players but at least for today, they were looking out for the students.

I think this decision is made even if Duke had won.

It will be very interesting to see how many of the players, especially this year's seniors, take advantage of the extra season. I may be wrong but they still have to be full-time students during the extra year, right? That's a pretty penny to be paying to suit up for a school that turned its back on you during a time of crisis.

[Sonny]

Confirmed

NCAA Grants Season of Competition Waiver to Duke

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff has granted a season-of-competition waiver to 33 student-athletes who participated on the Duke University men's lacrosse team during the 2006 season. The waiver was requested by Duke University for all men's lacrosse student-athletes who were not seniors during the 2006 season.

The waiver provides each of the student-athletes a fifth year of eligibility to play lacrosse, regardless if the participation is for Duke or another NCAA institution. Duke University applied for the additional season of competition after canceling the 2006 season amid criminal allegations against some members of the team.

"These individuals were involved in an unusual circumstance that we believe warrants providing them the opportunity to complete their four years of competition," said Jennifer Strawley, NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement and membership services.

The student-athlete reinstatement staff considered a number of factors in determining that a waiver of NCAA regulations was appropriate. These factors included the unusual and extenuating circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the season; the hardship endured by the team from the false allegations; and the unanimous endorsement by the Atlantic Coast Conference university presidents for the waiver.

[BigheadTodd]

If they have not graduated from duke, will this extra year be honored by the MCLA as well?

[Daniel Morris]

I wonder, WWGPD?

[BigheadTodd]

That will shake up the MLL draft.

Can you retain your college eligibility if you don't like your draft position and you don't sign with an agent (ala college basketball)?

No, once you turn in that paper, your eligibility ends.