B1G commish: make all freshman sit a year.

[WestWYOPoke]

Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany wants to make it ineligible for freshman to play, instead making their first year a "year of readiness." Interesting concept and certainly an attempt to at least appear to care about the student side of student-athlete.

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/college/2015/04/17/big-ten-jim-delany-freshmen/25951783/

Before anyone goes off on a tangent, the article does mention:

Delany also reiterated the Big Ten has no plans to go it alone when it comes to implementing a year of readiness.

So it would be an everyone or no one idea.

 

[Adv8RU12]

YEARS ago it was that way. No freshman could play in ANY varsity sport as a Freshman. They did have Freshman teams that competed in some sports or entered in a swim or track meet in "exhibition". This guy must have forgotten about that. Probably before he was born.

 

[kansasCowboy]

It was just in the 70's. Marshall had to be pardoned from the rule when they rebuilt their football program from the plane crash. But times have changed society and culture is entertainment oriented instead of education oriented. Most players go to school to play a sport, not to get an education. Alumni and fans want success on the field/court as much, if not more than in the classroom. So players want they opportunity to play as a frosh and don't care to take not year for school. Hardcore fans don't care if these guys make the grade, just as long as the produce in their sport. Sadly, i think it's gone too far.

 

[WestWYOPoke]

Honestly, I think this may be some foresight on Delany's part. Perhaps he is looking to the future and could see the potential for a class action lawsuit from former players for not providing the education they were promised. This could be their first attempt to at least pretend to show they want to provide said education. I almost see it as more of an image move than an actual honest attempt at reform.