Pac12 Presidents Encourage Freshman Ineligibility

[Muskie]

Link (http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/21/pac-12-presidents-suggest-considering-freshman-ineligibility-if-nba-doesnt-increase-age-limit/)

The rule that requires a basketball player to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school in order to be eligible for the NBA Draft is something that was put into effect by the NBA and its players association. And while new commissioner Adam Silver has stated on multiple occasions that one of this primary goals is to add another year to the rule, it will take the approval of the NBPA to get that done.
So where does college basketball sit in all of this? There really isn’t a whole lot the NCAA and its programs can do, outside of speaking with the decision makers who will decide the fate of said rule. However, in a letter sent to the members of the other four power conferences (football’s Power Five) the presidents of the Pac-12 have an idea of what to do should the NBA not raise its age limit.
That idea: bringing back the rule that made freshmen ineligible to play at the varsity level (http://pac-12.com/article/2014/05/21/letter-pac-12-presidents).
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[GoMuskies]

This seems like a horrible idea whose time should never come.

[Muskie]

Between this idea and the "greater autonomy" being considered by the power conferences in football, College Sports is about to go down a very different path.

[xubrew]

What an interesting idea!! I think the Pac Twelve should implement this immediately!!

Okay, now that we're only down to FOUR power conferences, now what??

[Titanxman04]

You'll just see more kids going the route of Brenden Jennings then. Going to Europe for a year contract, playing professionally or semi-professional basketball, and then going to the NBA.

[MHettel]

Here is the plan. Very simple.

In order to make Freshmen ineligible, you would have to increase the roster size. You cant have 5 freshmen taking roster spots but ineligible to play. So the "roster" would need to expand by at least 3 players in order to make this work. What that means is more scholarships availble for each school and the "power 5" schools can grab more kids in the top 200+.

Now, layer on a scenario where teams can pay players. Assume a cap on this "pay", and assume it's equitable across the board (i.e. all players at all schools get the same amount). Now, the cost to compete for all schools just went up by 3 scholarships a year and a few grand per player times 16 players. The deep pockets in the power 5 can absorb this easily, while other schools with more resource limitations would be faced with either paying up, or dropping down. Even worse, is if you had a scenario where the amount they can pay a player is NOT equitable. Then the power 5 will psuh for the absolute maximum ceiling, and would pay all their guys at that level, whcih provides an enormous recruiting advantage vs. other schools that choose to pay something less....

ALL of the actions and ideas over the last few years can be traced back to one simple motivation. Separation between the Power 5 and everyone else. It's coming....

[bobbiemcgee]

Adopt the Baseball rule. Sign 'em out of HS and if they go to college have to wait until Jr. Yr. Simple. If a kid is good enough to be drafted, why should he waste time in college? 1/15th, 1/10th, 1/5th, 1/3rd of his career flushed with no cash. Stupid.

[ArizonaXUGrad]

I like Hockey and Baseball where a kid can be drafted and stay in college.

I think Freshman ineligibility really only works in football. It used to exist for football actually. I like a 2 year rule like baseball, if a kid doesn't want to stick it out he can hit the NBDL or Europe. Hell, it might even improve the talent level in the NBDL and make it at least a bit more of a legit farm system for the NBA instead of where careers go to die.