Husky Football Blog

Times reporter Bob Condotta keeps the news coming about the Montlake Dawgs.

June 4, 2007 11:40 AM

NCAA head likes five-year proposal

Don't know if you saw this over the weekend, but NCAA President Myles Brand said the idea of simply giving all college football players five years of eligibility "might be favorable."

Certainly, you'd think UW coach Tyrone Willingham would like it (I don't remember ever actually asking him about it) as it would eliminate the practice of redshirting --- a topic that has caused the most controversy of Willingham's two-year Husky tenure.

This is an idea that's been out there for a while, and almost every coach I've ever heard talk about it has been in favor of it, saying that the 85-man scholarship limit has made depth an even more precious commodity and that having the ability to use the entire roster every year would make for a better game.

And think about how last season might have changed for UW had a rule such as this been in effect. The Huskies could have simply added Jake Locker to the QB mix from the start, and when Isaiah Stanback got hurt, could have put him right into action without having to worry about him losing a year of eligibility.

This would, however, seem to make it harder to lop guys off the roster after four years.

Also worth wondering is how players would be identified --- as freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and then fifth-year seniors maybe?

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