Golson’s final year as a ND quarterback was one largely in the national spotlight, and his exit from the program was no exception. Though his decision to leave the Notre Dame football program for FSU’s has (rightfully) earned him his traitorous title, it’s about more than a collegiate rivalry.
What’s causing the national debate is the underestimation that Golson would stick with the ND program in an uncertain position as the starting QB. The NCAA forgot that he could and did find a loophole in the graduate transfer exception.
What is the graduate transfer exception, you ask?
The NCAA has a rule that athletes who transfer must sit out for a year before they are eligible to play in the new program. This is to discourage collegiate football players from transferring schools during their times as undergrads. The graduate transfer exception lets players who have completed their undergrad degrees transfer straight into another team’s program without the gap year.
Why all the fuss?
The graduate exception rule has been a reoccurring problem. Golson isn’t a game-changer here, like he wasn’t at ND. Last year, Fresno State recruited Duke quarterback Brandon Connette, and this year, Oregon got Eastern Washington’s quarterback Vernon Adams Jr. At the heart of this problem is that collegiate football is starting to professionalize, making the NCAA a little weary.
The biggest advocates for changing the graduate rule argue that football players are going to grad school, but the majority aren’t finishing (because soooooo many football players are in school for their academics). If academics were such a high priority for college athletes, more of the best players in the country would be going to the Ivy League rather than the ACC.
Cut the graduate transfers some slack. The demanding training, travel, and game schedule make playing a college sport such a big time commitment. It’s basically another degree in itself.
What’s at stake?
One thing to expect is a change in the way athletes transfer. Whether it is a change to the undergrad one year waiting period or the graduate exception, the NCAA is set to revamp one of the two.
Messing with the graduate exception rule would be a mistake though. This rule has provided a major incentive for college athletes to complete an undergraduate degree. To athletes, a degree equals a doorway into a new program without any delay.
The whole debate about the graduate rule is, more than anything, hypocritical. Coaches leave when a better opportunity presents itself in another program, so why shouldn’t players have the same freedom? We’re failing to recognize that to some athletes, football is more than a game; it’s their job, so let them treat it like one. When a spot opens up in a program that will give a player more playing time and a better shot at catching the NFL recruiters’ eyes, why should they be stopped?
You don’t know what you had until you’ve lost it… and what we had with Golson wasn’t much. Let Golson run off to FSU and try to fill an alleged rapist’s shoes for a team that beat us partially because of a penalty. Head coach at the University of Akron Terry Bowden put it best saying, “[I]t usually isn’t the team’s best player that leaves. It’s a kid who’s not having success[.]”
Among all this unnecessary Golson drama, we’re forgetting a key player—Malik Zaire. After his performance in the Music City Bowl, he’s proved that he can rival Golson. Golson is the more experienced player, but Zaire is a better runner, and Zaire as QB will allow Coach Kelly to explore new plays.
Bring on the Zairera.
The HCND application is now open! For more information contact Rebecca Rogalski at rrogalsk@nd.edu or Katrina Linden at klinden1@nd.edu.
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