[Husker] Scholarship limit question (Ridiculously Long) (fwd)

[Mike Nolan]

> My head hurts.

Welcome to the NCAA Headache Clinic, Dick.  

I think the key phrase of the whole thing, and one that could be made
quite a bit clearer by adding a few words is this:

15.02.3.1:  An "inital counter" is a counter who is receiving countable
financial aid in a sport for the first time.

What would clear this up?

How about adding "at THIS institution" or "at ANY institution" at the
end of the sentence.

I'm kind of literal minded about this.  To me 'for the first time' means 
exactly that.  If so, there is only one first time for any student-athlete, 
and it could come at another school.  This is consistent with how the NCAA
interprets other regulations, such as whether someone has participated in 
a sport in any fashion during any given year, including at other institutions.  

For example, remember the athlete who had scrimmaged at one junior college, 
dropped out, then played at another school the following year before 
tranferring to Nebraska, and as a result was actually ineligible his 
final year at Nebraska, something that came up just before the bowl game?

Thus, my understanding is that what 15.02.3.1 means is "at any institution", 
which is why schools can routinely sign 25 incoming freshman plus a number 
of JC transfers every year.  This is, however, not the interpretation 
that many here and in the media seem to give to this phrase.  

Another problem is that not all JC transfers may have been initial
counters at their other school, and it would take an examination of 
their records from the other institution (something UNL can do but we 
cannot) to ascertain whether they received athletic-related financial 
aid at that school.
--
Mike Nolan