NCAA denies Masoli waiver to play at Ole Miss this season
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Chalk up another setback in a series of setbacks for former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, whose appeal for a wavier to play for Mississippi this season was denied Tuesday by the NCAA.
Masoli will be eligible to play in 2011. Mississippi said it would appeal the NCAA’s decision. Masoli transferred to Ole Miss after he was dismissed by Oregon following two off-field incidents. Ducks Coach Chip Kelly suspended Masoli for the 2010 season for his involvement in a fraternity-house computer theft with a chance to return in 2011. Masoli was dismissed for good though after a subsequent marijuana possession charge.
Masoli entered Ole Miss as a graduate student and has one year of eligibility remaining, with a redshirt option.
Here is the NCAA’s statement on Masoli:
The NCAA staff has granted a graduate student transfer waiver for University of Mississippi football student-athlete Jeremiah Masoli, but he must wait until the 2011-12 academic year to compete. Mr. Masoli can continue to pursue his academic career, is eligible to receive athletics aid, and may practice with the team.
In its decision, the staff noted the student-athlete was unable to participate at the University of Oregon based on his dismissal from the team, which is contrary to the intent of the waiver. The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university.
According to NCAA rules, created by member schools, football graduate student-athletes must receive a waiver in order to compete if they enroll in a university other than where they received their undergraduate degree.
After receiving information from both universities and the student-athlete, the NCAA staff obtained the final piece of information yesterday evening from the University of Mississippi and issued its decision today. The university may appeal this staff decision to the Subcommittee for Legislative Relief, an independent group made up of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences.