Quick Thoughts on the NCAA Eligibility Ruling

Last Friday the NCAA ruled that all fall sport athletes will be granted an extra year of eligibility. While I’m sure the ruling was a relief to several student-athletes, several questions remain on how it will effect the landscape of college football.

• Will there be bloated rosters? Obviously, I don’t think the NCAA decision will have the same impact for all college football teams. I assume the blue blood schools will not have the same backlog as other schools. They will churn out pro prospects and perhaps even more of their projected late round NFL guys will declare if there’s not enough tape on a Big 10 or PAC 12 player. But where you could see a potential logjam roster could be a place like Baylor. Schools where there may not be very many early round NFL prospects and an extra year could really benefit the hype and visibility of a player. For example, if Charlie Brewer returned in 2021, with Sam Ehlinger and Brock Purdy likely gone, he would be the early favorite as the best QB in the Big XII. Xavier Newman could become a Big 12 1st team or 2nd team player.
• I think the G5 schools may benefit the most. There could be a lot of high quality transfers who want the more assured playing time and not a crowded position group. Coaches are going to have to make tough decisions, especially the newly hired ones. Do you play the older players that could potentially produce one more win and have reached their ceiling, or go with the younger talent in order to begin the developmental process?

I think it was the right decision by the NCAA. It’s time for some of these college coaches to earn their paycheck. They only thought juggling the roster space and scholarships were hard.