ADVERTISEMENT

Covid eligibility rule-

ohio herd

Platinum Buffalo
Gold Member
Aug 28, 2012
9,474
5,572
113
Okay I hear this mentioned some. Could @Chris McLaughlin clear this up for me. If we have a limit of 85 scholarships how can Doc bring in a new group of 25 and keep this years seniors that want to stay?
 
I don't have an official answer, and haven't even heard a word about how it might work. But I do have a hypothesis; the number of qualified seniors who choose to stay will be the exact same number of extra scholarships a school is allowed to have next year. Further, a decision will have to be made before reaching the final "signing day" in February next year. Again, just my hypothesis of what will happen, and it feels very fair to me.
 
  • Like
Reactions: herdalicious
Okay I hear this mentioned some. Could @Chris McLaughlin clear this up for me. If we have a limit of 85 scholarships how can Doc bring in a new group of 25 and keep this years seniors that want to stay?
Seniors will not count against roster limits in 2021. Right now Marshall has 19 known seniors on scholarship, so the 2021 roster could conceivably, barring attrition and assuming 25 new counters, be at 104 players.

Will all 19 of those players be invited back? I seriously doubt it. Carrying 104 scholarships for a school like Marshall would be tough in a normal fiscal year - which 2020 ain't.

There will be a trickle down impact in future seasons, too. Especially if the 85 hard cap is re-implemented in 2022 (after the 2021 season) because in theory, there will be no seniors graduating who counted against the 85 limit. They'll all still be juniors.

My guess is coaching staffs will take smaller 2021 classes; not invite back every senior who would be eligible to return in 2021; and aggressively "cut" players from the roster who have been a part of the program for three plus years and have not yet cracked the two-deep.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: ohio herd
I think this is why we see only 5 commitments to MU so far. The cost of scholarships if we give scholarships to the normal number of recruits would be cost prohibitive for our athletic program. Doc is probably weighing the decision as to how many we can afford. That assumes a high number of seniors decide to participate again next year. I predict no more than half of the seniors will stick around.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ohio herd
ADVERTISEMENT