Freshman Ineligibility Not Getting Immediate Support from SEC Commissioner

The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is not in on implementing a freshman ineligibility rule immediately.

Speaking to the Associated Press, SEC commissioner Mike Slive said he would put freshman ineligibility talks on hold until 2016, as the NCAA has new eligibility standards kicking in that time. Other commissioners in the NCAA's Power 5 conferences have expressed interest in a freshman ineligibility rule.

"To put a blanket over these student-athletes with a year on the bench doesn't address those individual needs to incentivize academic progress," Slive told the AP. "Many students do come to college prepared both academically and athletically ready to compete in the classroom and in competition, and to penalize those students with a universal policy may create unintended consequences not beneficial to many student-athletes.

"A lot of thought and preparation went into the new initial eligibility rules that go into effect in 2016. It is more appropriate to implement these new regulations and understand their impact before applying additional eligibility restrictions that may be more cosmetic than effective."

Since the Power 5 will soon have expanded autonomy over its governance, they would be able to pass a freshman ineligibility rule just for their own schools. It is not yet clear if that will be the case.

Jim Delany, the Big Ten's commissioner, first generated interest in the proposal and was reportedly seeking input from member schools. CBS Sports' Jon Solomon reported last month talking with the commissioners of the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12 about their interest in such a proposal.

"If this proposal is about student-athletes turning professional, we need to be careful not to create rules for a few that penalize the many," Slive said. "The universe of student-athletes who leave early for professional sports is very small compared to the numbers that participate in football and men's basketball. And just because a student-athlete enters professional sports does not mean he or she has totally abandoned their academic pursuits."