STrib: Gophers, Pitino must navigate NCAA transfer gray areas

per the STrib:

The school announced earlier this month that Smith will be eligible this season after being granted a waiver because his former school, Florida International, was banned from the postseason because of his team’s inadequate Academic Progress Rate. The Gophers are still gathering materials for King’s waiver, which revolves around a family health concern. King, who played high school ball at Eastview, was a freshman at Drake last season before transferring.

“I don’t think it’s common for basketball programs to do this,” said J.T. Bruett, the University of Minnesota director of compliance. “I do think it’s a result, though, of when Coach Pitino was brought in. … I think you see it more often in coaching changes and things of that nature where they’re a little bit behind at that particular institution.”

“There’s no such thing as an automatic waiver,” Bruett said. “You still have to put together an argument. … They ask for statements from the student-athlete, they ask for reasoning why a particular student is transferring to a particular institution. Sometimes, a statement from the previous institution or information from the previous institution. … There’s an academic component to it as well, so there’s a lot of different things.”

http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/217501571.html

Go Gophers!!

“There’s no such thing as an automatic waiver,” Bruett said. “You still have to put together an argument."

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Not true in all circumstances... for example, the very popular graduate transfer most often achieves immediate competition eligibility using a one-time exception, so long as the previous school doesn't object. No argument needed. It's essentially "automatic".

There have generally been fewer than 10 graduate transfers in the last couple years that actually have needed a "waiver".

Gopher Warrior said:

Not true in all circumstances... for example, the very popular graduate transfer most often achieves immediate competition eligibility using a one-time exception, so long as the previous school doesn't object. No argument needed. It's essentially "automatic".

There have generally been fewer than 10 graduate transfers in the last couple years that actually have needed a "waiver".

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thus making those other than the 10 were not actually waivers, and therefore don't apply to the "there's no such thing as an automatic waiver"

If you need a "waiver" then it isn't automatic? True?

Winasota Gopher said:

thus making those other than the 10 were not actually waivers, and therefore don't apply to the "there's no such thing as an automatic waiver"

If you need a "waiver" then it isn't automatic? True?

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You're suggesting, I think, that an "automatic waiver" is an oxymoron. Which I'd disagree with. Requirement, fees, etc. are commonly "automatically waived" based on certain requirements/rules that are setup up front.

We're getting into semantics; in the context of the article, it would be relevant (and helpful) to note that graduate students generally do not need to make an argument in order for the residency requirements to be waived.

If a requirement has been waived (essentially automatically or through a different, more robust process), has a "waiver" been "received"? I'd say yes. Can a waiver be an act? Sure. Are there documents supporting the "essentially automatic" waiver for a graduate student? Absolutely. So, the waiving of requirements is supported by documentation. Hard to say there's no waiver in that situation.

But, sure.. describing as an "exception" vs. a "waiver" has some merit as well.

I think the average reader without much knowledge of graduate transfers would read the article and think that there were only 6 graduate transfers last season who were immediately eligible.

I should have been more concise and specific with my words and I apologize. Bruett's comment (depending on context) was probably technically correct - the article as put together might lead people to incorrect conclusions.

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Back to the topic, though... wonder what the status is with King's request. Couple of months til regular practice starts, but never know if additional information will be requested or what other holdups could arise... I think he'll be good to play though.

Winasota Gopher said:

If you need a "waiver" then it isn't automatic? True?

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Bingo!

Ladies and Gentlemen: We've just witnessed an exercise in mental mastrubation.