Jeremiah Masoli, the former Oregon quarterback who transferred to U. Mississippi this summer, has been denied by the NCAA to play for the Rebels this season.
Pete Boone, Ole Miss athletics director, said the Rebels have appealed the decision. The department will not have information before Friday and may have to wait a week for the decision of the NCAA subcommittee on appeals.
Boone said the NCAA gave two reasons for denying Masoli.
The first is in regard to his eligibility for the 2010 season at his previous institution (Oregon).
The second reason given deals with the time-frame discrepancy between Oregon and Masoli regarding when Oregon said they dismissed Masoli and when he decided to transfer.
Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt pleaded with the NCAA subcommittee to reverse its ruling at Tuesday afternoon’s press conference.
“All he’s done is exactly what he’s supposed to do,” Nutt said. “He graduated. We found a graduate program for him that Oregon didn’t have. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do. He was not dismissed from the University; he was dismissed from the team.”
Masoli said that he was shocked and disappointed by the NCAA’s decision and that he had followed the NCAA rule book to be eligible at Ole Miss.
“I graduated early (from Oregon). That wasn’t easy,” Masoli said. “I found a graduate program at Ole Miss that I’m very interested in. I’m just very hopeful still that the NCAA will do the right thing in my case. That’s why the NCAA has the appeals process in place, so they can get things right. I hope that the NCAA can find it in their hearts to do the right thing.”
Masoli arrived at Ole Miss hoping to compete immediately at quarterback because of a rule that allows student-athletes that have graduated from one school to be immediately eligible at another university without sitting out a year.The rule requires the school to have a graduate program not offered at the student athlete’s previous university.
Boone said the NCAA didn’t provide Ole Miss with any case precedent for the two reasons given.
“It is our opinion that their decision was subjective, and not in the best interest and opportunity of the student-athlete, Jeremiah Masoli,” Boone said.
Nutt said he’s dismissed players from his teams in the past, hoping they end up on another team and learn from their mistakes.
“There’s no question in my mind– Jeremiah’s at the right place,” Nutt said.