SBNation.com: All Posts by Kevin Trahanhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/46737/sbn-fave.png2017-02-01T13:25:00-05:00https://www.sbnation.com/authors/kevin-trahan/rss2017-02-01T13:25:00-05:002017-02-01T13:25:00-05:00Explaining grayshirting, blueshirting and more
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/8LMOBdjl6bQpMdQLvVBgolz23iE=/0x86:1280x939/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/48669003/shirts.0.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>There are a lot of 'shirts in college football. Here's what they mean.</p> <p>Most college football players are classified by their class year. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors.</p>
<p>But some are redshirt freshmen, sophomores, juniors or seniors. And then there are grayshirts and other terms used to define other eligibility and recruiting statuses.</p>
<p>Here's a quick guide to what each of these terms means, with some more explanation below.</p>
<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" dir="ltr" border="1">
<colgroup> <col width="100"> <col width="108"> <col width="91"> <col width="159"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Shirt type"]'><b>Shirt type</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"On scholarship?"]'><b>On scholarship?</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Can play?"]'><b>Can play?</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Can Practice??"]'><b>Can practice?</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Meaning"]'><b>Meaning</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Redshirt"]'><b><font color="red">Redshirt</font></b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"No"]'>No</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Athlete sits from competition for a year to get another year to complete 4 seasons"]'>Athlete sits from competition for a year, then gets another year to complete four seasons.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Greyshirt"]'><b><font color="gray">Grayshirt</font></b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"No"]'>No</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"No"]'>No</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"No"]'>No</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Athlete waits an extra semester to become a student and part of the team"]'>Athlete waits an extra semester to become a full-time student and part of the team.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Blueshirt"]'><b><font color="blue">Blueshirt</font></b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"No"]'>No</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Athlete is \"unrecruited,\" put on scholarship at start of freshman practice"]'>Athlete is not formally recruited, but is put on scholarship at start of freshman practice.</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Greenshirt"]'><b><font color="green">Greenshirt</font></b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Yes"]'>Yes</td>
<td data-sheets-value='[null,2,"Athlete enrolls in school a semester early"]'>Athlete enrolls in school a semester early.</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p> </p>
<h3> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="redshirt" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Epbupp7Y4IeAF7j66_jXM5TqJ9o=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5960563/redshirt.0.jpg">
</figure>
</h3>
<p>This is the most common. A redshirt year is a year in which a player is on scholarship and can practice, but does not play, in exchange for an extra year of eligibility. If a player redshirts — meaning they don't play for one year — they will have five years to compete in four seasons.</p>
<p>The term comes from a Nebraska player in the 1940s who chose to only practice, not play, as a sophomore, in order to catch up physically. He wore a red jersey with no numbers on it ... a red shirt. <a href="http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=944901">He's the oldest example</a> of a player intentionally held out of a season for this reason. The names of these other 'shirt terms spring from redshirting.</p>
<p>Many college football players redshirt their freshmen years in order to get physically ready. Other players redshirt due to injuries. <a href="http://www.athleticscholarships.net/2012/07/17/how-get-medical-redshirt.htm">These are the rules a player must follow</a> in order to obtain a medical redshirt:</p>
<ul>
<li>The injury must be incapacitating, a season-ending injury.</li>
<li>The injury must occur prior to the start of the second half of the season.</li>
<li>The student-athlete must not have competed in more than 30 percent of the season or three contests, whichever is greater.</li>
</ul>
<p>The NCAA has also added an academic redshirt this year. Players will be forced to redshirt their freshmen years if they don't meet <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/27/10822442/ncaa-academic-redshirt-rule-requirements">certain academic requirements from high school</a>.</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="grayshirt2" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BVT3EQTcj56rYQukpov_yIbcb4I=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5969907/greyshirt_copy.0.jpg">
</figure>
</p>
<p><span>This often comes up in recruiting around National Signing Day. A grayshirt is when a team offers a player enrollment on scholarship at the start of the second semester, after the upcoming season. The athlete then has five years to play four seasons, with the ability to redshirt at some point.</span></p>
<p>Athletes who grayshirt are allowed to enroll as students. They go to class for the first semester as part-time students, either at the school or at a junior college, without starting their eligibility clocks. Then they begin as full-time students on scholarship.</p>
<p>Grayshirts have commonly been used by programs that oversign, which means not having enough roster spots for all of their commits. Sometimes, coaches are up front about grayshirting from the beginning. However, other times, they will force grayshirts on athletes at the last minute, leaving them unable to find schools that will allow them to play immediately.</p>
<p>Last year, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2015/2/20/8073151/bobby-petrino-matt-colburn-grayshirting-scholarship-ncaa">Louisville coach Bobby Petrino was criticized for giving one player</a> a surprise grayshirt right before National Signing Day, after the player had been committed as a non-grayshirt for a year. Many other programs have done the same thing.</p>
<p>Sometimes, grayshirts can be revoked and turned into regular offers due to unforeseen roster changes. If there is a surprise transfer during the offseason, a player who planned on grayshirting could be added to the roster as a normal signee.</p>
<h3> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="blueshirt" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mhcrvsJJWMsGRU8xjWBa8DnzvWo=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5960639/blueshirt.0.jpg">
</figure>
</h3>
<p>Blueshirting wasn't used until recently, and it still isn't common, but it's essentially another loophole to get around oversigning.</p>
<p>The blueshirt rule allows schools to put "unrecruited" athletes on scholarship once they arrive on campus, but count them against the next year's scholarship total, as long as they don't play. <a href="http://www.athleticscholarships.net/2012/07/26/ncaa-rules-help-penn-state.htm">Here's what it means to be "recruited,"</a> according to the NCAA:</p>
<ul>
<li>Was provided an official visit to the campus;</li>
<li>Had arranged, in-person, off-campus contact with a coach; or</li>
<li>Was sent an NLI or other written scholarship offer.</li>
</ul>
<p>Coaches can contact players and have them on campus for unofficial visits — when the recruits pay their ways — without technically recruiting them. Essentially, as long as a recruit doesn't take an official visit or host one of that school's coaches, he wasn't "recruited" by that school.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.rockytoptalk.com/2015/2/3/7974727/tennessee-plans-to-blueshirt-jocquez-bruce">Tennessee has popularized the practice</a>, which was first developed by New Mexico State.</p>
<h3> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt="greenshirt" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ST9wocUPq9etd3ZGmRzyybp-Wko=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/5960689/greenshirt.0.jpg">
</figure>
</h3>
<p>The more common term for a greenshirt is "early enrollee." A greenshirt is a player who graduates high school in December of their senior year and opts to enroll in college before Signing Day. Athletes who greenshirt still have five years to play four seasons, so they can still redshirt.</p>
<p>There are many benefits to greenshirting. These players can get ahead on their classes. They are on full scholarship in the spring and are allowed to participate in spring practice and work out with the team; <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/7/10732286/deshaun-watson-alabama-clemson-jalen-hurts">Alabama used an early enrollee quarterback to prepare for Clemson in this year's National Championship</a>.</p>
<p>Greenshirting has become much more common in recent years, as players are looking to get college-ready quicker.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2016/1/28/10842688/ncaa-football-grayshirt-blueshirt-redshirt-rulesKevin Trahan2017-01-26T11:01:00-05:002017-01-26T11:01:00-05:00How long each state's gone without a star recruit
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/qsO1vaXbdcxTAqSeWDMu4pPK0iI=/0x0:5184x3456/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52932191/usa-today-9784908.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Oklahoma wins despite almost never having in-state five-star recruits. Iowa and Wisconsin have done a lot with a little, too.</p> <p>Recruiting in college football is extremely regional, with conferences sticking to their geographic footprints a majority of the time. That's partly why the SEC has such dominant recruiting teams, while teams in, say, the Northeast struggle.</p>
<p>Here's a look at the last time each state had a recruit of each star rating, per the <a href="http://247sports.com/Season/2017-Football/CompositeRecruitRankings?InstitutionGroup=HighSchool">247Sports Composite</a> database, which goes back to about the turn of the millennium and aggregates evaluations of different players.</p>
<p>Alabama, California, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington have players of every star level in 2017. The rest:</p>
<p>
<style type="text/css"></style>
</p>
<table border="1" dir="ltr" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<colgroup> <col width="102"> <col width="41"> <col width="41"> <col width="41"> <col width="41"> </colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"State"}'><b>State</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"5-star"}'><b>5-star</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"4-star"}'><b>4-star</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"3-star"}'><b>3-star</b></td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"2-star"}'><b>2-star</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Alaska"}'>Alaska</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2014}'>2014</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Arizona"}'>Arizona</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Arkansas"}'>Arkansas</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Colorado"}'>Colorado</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2007}'>2007</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Connecticut"}'>Connecticut</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Delaware"}'>Delaware</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Idaho"}'>Idaho</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Iowa"}'>Iowa</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Kansas"}'>Kansas</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2009}'>2009</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Kentucky"}'>Kentucky</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Louisiana"}'>Louisiana</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Maine"}'>Maine</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2008}'>2008</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Massachusetts"}'>Massachusetts</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2013}'>2013</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Minnesota"}'>Minnesota</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2010}'>2010</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Missouri"}'>Missouri</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2012}'>2012</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Montana"}'>Montana</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2014}'>2014</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Nebraska"}'>Nebraska</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2000}'>2000</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2013}'>2013</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Nevada"}'>Nevada</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"New Hampshire"}'>New Hampshire</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2014}'>2014</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"New Jersey"}'>New Jersey</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"New Mexico"}'>New Mexico</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"New York"}'>New York</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"North Carolina"}'>North Carolina</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"North Dakota"}'>North Dakota</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Ohio"}'>Ohio</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Oklahoma"}'>Oklahoma</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2006}'>2006</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Oregon"}'>Oregon</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2013}'>2013</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Pennsylvania"}'>Pennsylvania</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Rhode Island"}'>Rhode Island</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2002}'>2002</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"South Carolina"}'>South Carolina</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2011}'>2011</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"South Dakota"}'>South Dakota</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2016}'>2016</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Utah"}'>Utah</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Vermont"}'>Vermont</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2013}'>2013</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"West Virginia"}'>West Virginia</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2008}'>2008</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Wisconsin"}'>Wisconsin</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2007}'>2007</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Wyoming"}'>Wyoming</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":2,"2":"Never"}'>Never</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2015}'>2015</td>
<td data-sheets-value='{"1":3,"3":2017}'>2017</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Here's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2017/1/20/14328730/2017-best-college-football-recruits-rankings-map">a map</a> of this year's five-star recruits:</p>
<p> <figure class="e-image">
<img alt=" " data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/nT269b9gE7vK1Pm7d9wOJkKAPoc=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/7838637/five_star_desert.png">
<cite>Google Maps</cite>
</figure>
</p>
<p>Five-star Auburn offensive tackle commit Calvin Ashley is mapped in Florida here, where the Composite lists his location. His last high school is in D.C., however, hence the District's inclusion on this list.</p>
<h3>Vermont is mostly a foreign planet when it comes to football.</h3>
<p>You wouldn't expect a small state in the Northeast to have great football. But the Green Mountain State barely has <i>any</i> football. It's the only one of the lower 48 states to not have a Division I football team, and it has just a few Division III schools.</p>
<p>Perhaps that's due to the utter lack of high school talent. Since 2002, recruiting service Rivals only listed three recruits from Vermont, all unrated. Even Alaska has had two-star players, plus Zack Bowman, who went to junior college before becoming a five-star and an NFL product from Nebraska. The Composite's last rated Vermont recruit was in 2013, and in most years, there aren't any of them.</p>
<p>That puts Vermont behind not just other states, but other countries. Canada has a four-star defensive back this year, in Michigan defensive back commit Benjamin St.-Juste. Polynesian nations have a few rated players often. Germany had a three-star in 2011.</p>
<p>That's translated to only nine Vermont players in the NFL, ever. None have played since 2001. Three are from the 1920s and 1930s.</p>
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<h3>Oklahoma is a national power despite a lack of in-state talent.</h3>
<p>There has not been a five-star recruit from Oklahoma since 2006, when Oklahoma City's Gerald McCoy chose to play for the Sooners. However, the lack of elite talent hasn't stopped Oklahoma from winning, both on the recruiting trail and on the field.</p>
<p>Since 2006, Oklahoma has still signed nine five-stars -- five from Texas, three from California and one from Virginia. Overall, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/12/29/10670736/michigan-state-college-football-playoff-recruiting-rankings">the Sooners are a top-15 recruiting team</a>, and they've won on the field even more frequently. They have a a top-five all-time winning percentage and have entrenched themselves as the Big 12's best team of the last few years.</p>
<p>Generally, the best teams reside where the best talent is, but Oklahoma is the country's biggest exception.</p>
<h3>Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska take pretty good advantage of even less in-state talent.</h3>
<p>The state of Iowa has never had a Composite five-star recruit, and Wisconsin hasn't had one since 2007. But those are still the last two Big Ten West winners, and both have been able to get to New Year's Six-caliber bowls with some frequency.</p>
<p>Wisconsin has done an excellent job developing in-state talent. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/2/26/8069895/nfl-draft-picks-map-recruits">The Badgers have four in-state NFL Draft first-rounders since 2005 who were not blue-chip recruits</a>. Iowa has two from neighboring South Dakota, which has also never had a five-star recruit.</p>
<p>★★★</p>
<p>If you want to be a big-time college football recruit, move to the obvious regions: the South or California. And if you want to <i>really</i> stand out, maybe move to Vermont.</p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/2/29/11125056/ncaa-recruiting-states-worstKevin TrahanSB Nation College News2017-01-09T18:39:00-05:002017-01-09T18:39:00-05:00Once upon a time, Bama wanted Watson 'bad'
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mVziOk6CsWVJ_6KdrHrRLTmt8cY=/0x289:1747x1454/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/52671425/usa-today-9786457.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>With Bama facing down Watson again, let's look at some alternative history.</p> <p>Last year, Alabama beat Clemson in the National Championship, despite Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson throwing four touchdowns and going over 400 yards. Now the teams are meeting again on Monday, and Watson's <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/1/9/14176760/deshaun-watson-alabama-clemson-national-championship-game-2017">again in the spotlight</a> as the game's most crucial player.</p>
<p>At a press conference before last year's game, then-Bama defensive coordinator and current Georgia coach Kirby Smart talked about <a href="https://www.dawgnation.com/football/team-news/kirby-smart-says-he-recruited-deshaun-watson-hard">how much Alabama wanted Watson as a recruit</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'We wanted him; we wanted him bad,' Smart said. 'I can't remember who the offensive coordinator was when he came out but I think we were in a changeover somewhat. ... But we offered him and thought a lot of him, thought very highly of him.'</p>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kirby Smart: "If we could simulate what Deshaun does in practice that guy would be starting for us at QB."</p>
— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mark_Schlabach/status/685866022562234368">January 9, 2016</a>
</blockquote>
<p>
<script charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</p>
<p>Watson at Alabama could have been very interesting. For a time, perhaps the most Watson-like quarterback to ever play for the Crimson Tide was fellow Gainesville, Ga., native Blake Sims.</p>
<p>While Sims wasn't near the runner Watson is — 350 yards in his senior year to over 1,000 for Watson last year — <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/6/10705454/lane-kiffin-alabama-coaching-candidate">he did set Alabama's single-season and single-game passing records as a senior</a>. This year's Tide QB, true freshman Jalen Hurts, is a dangerous runner and shares that with Watson, though he's not the passer Watson is. (Nor was Sims.)</p>
<p><span>While he was at Alabama, Smart recruited Georgia for the Tide. So he recruited Watson heavily. After the National Championship last year, he took over at UGA, which missed out on Watson as an in-state prospect.</span></p>
<p>When asked if he would have recruited Watson hard at Georgia, <a href="https://www.dawgnation.com/football/team-news/kirby-smart-says-he-recruited-deshaun-watson-hard">Smart was somewhat coy in his response</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>'I think you always go after in-state kids that are that talented,' said Smart, offering the slightest hint of a grin.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Watson is now a two-time Heisman finalist and Davey O'Brien Award winner. Alabama's been just fine without him, but it's fair to say both the Tide and Bulldogs could've found a use for him.</p>
<p></p>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/1/11/10726270/deshaun-watson-recruitment-clemson-alabama-georgiaKevin TrahanAlex Kirshner2016-04-05T11:27:26-04:002016-04-05T11:27:26-04:00Villanova won with historically little NBA talent
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CaDWHPa-Bxcs0Z7EmSKS6Dy54vM=/0x173:4347x3071/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49240127/usa-today-9229923.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Wildcats are unlikely to have any players drafted this season.</p> <p>College basketball has been overtaken by future NBA prospects, ever since the one-and-done rule went into effect in 2006, and as a result, many national champions have featured NBA-ready prospects. Last year's Duke team won the national championship with three freshmen who were taken in the first round of the NBA Draft.</p>
<p>But this year's Villanova team has very little — if any — NBA talent at all, much less among its freshman class. In fact, it has less NBA talent than any other champion, possibly ever.</p>
<p>There is very little chance that any Villanova player gets picked in the 2016 NBA Draft. The Wildcats' next draftee is likely to be Josh Hart, who is projected to be the 41st pick in the 2017 draft <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2017/">by Draft Express</a>.</p>
<p>Every National Champion has had a pick in the next year's draft since 1997, and since the draft began in 1950, every champion has had a player who would eventually be drafted in the top 40. Even Villanova's last national champion — a Cinderella and No. 8 seed that is still the lowest seed to ever win the NCAA Tournament — had a first and second rounder in the following NBA Draft.</p>
<p>It would be unlikely for this kind of roster to ever win a national championship, much less in the one-and-done era. It's safe to say this won't happen again for a very long time.</p>
<p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/kylerrobbins">@kylerrobins</a>)</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/4/5/11369346/villanova-national-championship-players-nba-draft-picksKevin Trahan2016-03-31T19:43:35-04:002016-03-31T19:43:35-04:00Title IX lawsuit filed against Baylor, Briles
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/mNXfeDDGf65EZKm2DhvWUMQEhNg=/0x82:3000x2082/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49207079/usa-today-8807928.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Ray Carlin-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>She alleges a pattern of Baylor creating an unsafe environment for its students.</p> <p>Jasmin Hernandez, the sexual assault victim of former Baylor football player Tevin Elliott, filed a federal lawsuit against Baylor University, football coach Art Briles and athletic director Ian McCaw, for what she claims is a pattern of negligence and violation of Title IX laws that are in place to aid victims of sexual assault.</p>
<p>Hernandez claims Baylor failed to follow its Title IX duty by not creating a safe environment for her on campus after she reported the assault. Elliott was allowed to remain on campus after the assault, and Hernandez says she was told by the campus police department that they could not do anything about it because the assault happened off campus. She says she was also not given counseling she asked for from the university. Elliott was convicted of two counts of sexual assault and sentenced to 20 years in prison.</p>
<p>In the lawsuit, Hernandez<a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://espn.go.com/espn/otl/story/_/id/14675790/baylor-officials-accused-failing-investigate-sexual-assaults-fully-adequately-providing-support-alleged-victims"> notes a report that</a> another woman had reported that Elliott had sexually assaulted her before he assaulted Hernandez. Hernandez claims that negligence put her in danger and that there is a pattern of misconduct by Baylor is similar cases.</p>
<p><a href="http://deadspin.com/baylor-s-investigation-of-sam-ukwuachu-was-shameful-1725434717?utm_campaign=socialflow_deadspin_twitter&utm_source=deadspin_twitter&utm_medium=socialflow" target="_blank">Baylor has been criticized for its handling</a> of other situations, including when <a href="http://www.texasmonthly.com/article/silence-at-baylor/">coaches said that they "expected"</a> former Baylor player Sam Ukwuachu to rejoin the team in 2015, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/8/21/9185837/baylor-football-player-sam-ukwuachu">despite the fact that he was being prosecuted for sexual assault. Ukwuachu was later convicted</a>.</p>
<p><a href="http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/03/former-baylor-student-files-lawsuit-says-university-failed-to-protect-her-from-sexual-assault.html/" target="_blank">The Dallas Morning News contacted the officials named</a> in the lawsuit, but they did not respond. The school issued a statement which said it will respond to the lawsuit after it reviews the complaint.</p>
<p>The suit alleges that Briles is culpable because he allegedly knew about Elliott's sexual misconduct before college, but still chose to recruit him and keep him on the team. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK76GH_Sbok">Hernandez's lawyer explained Briles' inclusion in a video</a>, saying Briles "absolutely" put football ahead of the safety of other students.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>He's the head football coach. He's responsible for recruiting athletes. He's responsible for athlete discipline, or at least football player discipline. We have alleged that he knew of Elliott's sexual misconduct prior to coming to Baylor and nevertheless decided to recruit him, decided to allow him to play football, didn't do anything to educate him about sexual misconduct and what's appropriate at Baylor University. He didn't do anything to otherwise control him and make sure that he wasn't allowed to engage in the criminal acts that were foreseeable, given that he had engaged in the sexual misconduct prior.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>In a similar case, a woman at Oregon alleged that the university put her in a dangerous position for recruiting a basketball player who was suspended for an alleged sexual assault at another school, then assaulted her at Oregon. By doing that, she claimed that Oregon and Ducks basketball coach Dana Altman failed in their Title IX duties, failing to create a safe environment for women on campus. <a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/education/index.ssf/2015/08/student_receives_800000_settle.html">She settled with the university for $800,000</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scribd.com%2Fdoc%2F306548127%2FBaylor-Title-IX-Lawsuit&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fcollege-football%2F2016%2F3%2F31%2F11340762%2Fbaylor-art-briles-title-ix-sexual-assault-lawsuit" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">You can view the full lawsuit against Baylor here</a>.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/3/31/11340762/baylor-art-briles-title-ix-sexual-assault-lawsuitKevin Trahan2016-03-31T13:23:26-04:002016-03-31T13:23:26-04:002 top NFL Draft QBs are from non-powers. So?
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/aN2flLmNKRDxS5--EZRzFW0c-38=/0x484:3168x2596/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49204867/GettyImages-454386692.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>David Purdy/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Carson Wentz's and Paxton Lynch's alma maters shouldn't be reasons not to draft them.</p> <p>There are four quarterbacks projected to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-draft/2016/3/28/11316652/2016-nfl-mock-draft-trades-carson-wentz-paxton-lynch">according to the latest SB Nation mock</a>. But in a surprise, only one of the top three is from a power conference. Carson Wentz of FCS North Dakota State could be a top-10 pick, while Memphis' Paxton Lynch could be picked in the top 20.</p>
<p>Western Kentucky's Brandon Doughty, Louisiana Tech's Jeff Driskel and a few others could also be among the dozen or so QBs picked, if not first-rounders. And this is in a class that was once supposed to be headlined by Penn State's Christian Hackenberg and Ohio State's Cardale Jones.</p>
<p>Generally, top NFL Draft picks come from power conference schools, because the best high school recruits choose biggest schools and<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2014/5/12/5696710/nfl-draft-recruits-five-stars-two-stars"> have the best chances of becoming NFL players</a>. However, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2014/1/27/5330708/college-football-hardest-position">quarterback is one of the toughest positions to recruit</a>, so it makes sense that some slip through the cracks.</p>
<p>Since 1990, 13 non-power conference quarterbacks (players outside the BCS or current Power 5, or pre-BCS equivalent) have been drafted in the first round. Their success has widely varied.</p>
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<h4>It's tougher to judge non-power quarterbacks, since they play weaker competition.</h4>
<p>No college quarterback is going to be a certainty, but pro prospects are even less certain when they've mostly faced smaller schools. <a href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000592933/article/scout-id-hate-to-be-team-in-need-of-qb-in-2016-nfl-draft">From one NFL scout</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I'd hate to be a team in need of a quarterback. The best two in this draft might end up being from Memphis and North Dakota State and that ought to scare the (expletive) out of you. It takes some courage to turn that card in.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>The jump will be particularly big for Wentz. Lynch played in The American, a non-power conference, but he at least played FBS-caliber players and occasionally against power conference teams. Wentz played almost all of his games against much inferior competition in the FCS (while still contributing to <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2014/8/30/6086977/north-dakota-state-fcs-fbs-STOP-PLAYING-THEM">the Bison's list of wins against Power 5 teams</a>).</p>
<p>However, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nfl-mock-draft/2016/2/28/11121046/nfl-draft-2016-carson-wentz-combine">Wentz says he isn't worried</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="paragraph10">"To a lot of people, (the Senior Bowl) showed I can handle that game speed," Wentz said. "Obviously there's still going to be a big jump going forward, but that was probably the big question everyone wants to know. 'Can he adjust. He was playing FCS ball. All these guys are FBS guys.' I think I went in there and proved that I could handle it."</p>
</blockquote>
<h4>Competition alone doesn't mean they shouldn't be drafted in the first round.</h4>
<p>Since 2004, four of the five first-round quarterback draft picks who weren't from power conferences have worked out, more or less.</p>
<p>Ben Roethlisberger is a four-time Pro Bowler. Alex Smith and Joe Flacco have consistently started and led teams to the playoffs. Flacco's Super Bowl could even be considered elite.</p>
<p>Before them, Steve McNair and Daunte Culpepper worked out very well. And the list above doesn't include players like Tony Romo, Andy Dalton or Colin Kaepernick, who were picked after the first round.</p>
<p>Beyond the conference level, about as many of the 25 pure QBs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame came from historical lightweights (like Southern Miss' Brett Favre and Louisiana Tech's Terry Bradshaw, plus several low-tier power schools) as from big-name football factories.</p>
<h4>In fact, non-power conference quarterbacks have often been better than the other quarterbacks drafted in the first rounds of their draft classes.</h4>
<p>Roethlisberger has at least held his own with Eli Manning of Ole Miss and Philip Rivers of NC State in the 2004 class. Smith, while no Aaron Rodgers, has been better than fellow 2005 first-rounder Jason Campbell of Auburn. FCS Flacco has done no worse than Boston College's Matt Ryan.</p>
<p>These players have been better than a number of first-rounders from blueblood schools, including JaMarcus Russell (LSU), Brady Quinn (Notre Dame), Mark Sanchez (USC), Sam Bradford (Oklahoma), Tim Tebow (Florida) and Vince Young (Texas).</p>
<p>Sometimes drafting a quarterback in the first round works out. Sometimes it doesn't. But there does not appear to be much of a relationship between the pedigree of a first round quarterback's school and his NFL potential.</p>
<h4>Lynch and Wentz got passed up by the big schools because they were late developers.</h4>
<p>Shouldn't major colleges have found Lynch and Wentz? Most of the top quarterback recruits end up at the top schools, but in an era when schools are evaluating players earlier and earlier, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football-recruiting/2013/4/26/4266688/eric-fisher-star-recruit-rank-nfl-draft-chiefs">players who develop early have an advantage</a>.</p>
<p>Lynch and Wentz developed late, but in different ways.</p>
<p>Lynch is an imposing figure at 6'7, just two inches taller than he was in high school, but what hindered him in recruiting was that he was barely a quarterback. He only started playing the position in his freshman year of high school, and even then, he was essentially a running back, <a href="http://www.campusrush.com/memphis-tigers-paxton-lynch-1426940661.html">he told Sports Illustrated</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Unlike many quarterback recruits, Lynch didn't work with a private coach in high school. He taught himself how to throw a football, basing it on the way he threw a baseball.</p>
<p>But what was harder for Lynch was to garner the attention of recruiters while playing at Trinity Christian. The Eagles' had fewer than 30 players on their football team, and many of them were two-way starters. Making things even more difficult was the fact that Lynch played in a run-first offense.</p>
<p>'I only threw the ball about 10 times a game,' Lynch says. 'We just didn't have a lot of weapons on the outside.'</p>
</blockquote>
<p>It didn't make sense for a power to take a chance on Lynch. It did for downtrodden Memphis, though. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2015/10/22/9582354/memphis-tigers-justin-fuente-ole-miss">Now he makes NFL throws with ease</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p id="paragraph12"><a data-ref-index="11" href="http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2012-02-01/sports/os-hs-collings-column-0202-20120201_1_memphis-paxton-lynch-colleges">Memphis was his only real suitor</a>, despite his 6'5 frame and pro-caliber arm strength. The claims are that many schools were worried Florida would offer and win him over easily (Lynch lived only two hours away) or that an injury in his senior season led him to be overlooked. But the kid's only other Division I offers were from FAMU and UCF, which suggests everyone just plain missed on him somehow.</p>
<p id="paragraph13">After seeing his "arm talent" firsthand, <a data-ref-index="12" href="http://www.underdogdynasty.com/2015/9/4/9259245/memphis-fuentes-payoff-in-paxton-lynch-development">Justin Fuente chose to start him as a freshman over a returning starter, to the chagrin of Memphis fans</a>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Wentz's issue was one of physical development. A native of North Dakota, it was hard for him to get looks in the first place. Considering he was 5'8 and 125 pounds entering high school and didn't grow to the height of a true Division I quarterback until his junior year, there is no way any power conference school would have thought to take a look at him.</p>
<p>Growing physically was Wentz's only limitation, <a href="http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2016/01/26/carson-wentz-central-michigan-football/79336462/">he told the Detroit Free Press</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>"I always knew I had the physical and mental abilities to play this position, but physically, I finally developed late -- and I'm so thankful," he said. "I wouldn't trade the road I took for the world."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Had either Lynch or Wentz fully developed earlier, they likely would have been sought after by powers. The names of their alma maters don't tell the story of their potential in the NFL.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/3/31/11326102/nfl-draft-quarterbacks-2016-carson-wentz-paxton-lynchKevin Trahan2016-03-30T13:00:57-04:002016-03-30T13:00:57-04:00UNC-Syracuse is a nightmare for the NCAA
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<figcaption>Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Final Four meeting between Syracuse and North Carolina is the last one the NCAA wants to see.</p> <p dir="ltr">If the powers that be at the NCAA were to pick two teams in this year's NCAA Tournament that they didn't want to see on their biggest stage, those teams would without a doubt be Syracuse and North Carolina.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Now, against all odds, the association's nightmare matchup is a reality. No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 10 seed Syracuse will meet in the Final Four, where they will be broadcast to the nation as representatives of the NCAA system.</p>
<p dir="ltr">What have these schools done to make the thought of them in the Final Four so cringe-worthy to NCAA president Mark Emmert? There is quite the list!</p>
<ul>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">The NCAA loves to say that its focus is academics, but North Carolina had one of the biggest academic scandals in its history. The university found 18 years of academic fraud, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/us/unc-report-academic-fraud/">in which players were steered toward classes that didn't exist</a>. Essentially, the school did whatever it took to keep athletes eligible in lieu of a real education.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">The NCAA has been slow to act on UNC's potential punishment. <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1516590&xs=1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.usatoday.com%2Fstory%2Fsports%2Fncaab%2F2016%2F03%2F27%2Fmark-emmert-investigation-north-carolina-academic-fraud-nears-end%2F82319080%2F&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sbnation.com%2Fcollege-basketball%2F2016%2F3%2F30%2F11331882%2Fnorth-carolina-syracuse-ncaa-scandal-sanctions" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener" target="_blank">Emmert says the investigation is nearing its end</a> ... when the university is already in the spotlight for basketball reasons.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Syracuse was accused of a <a href="http://www.syracuse.com/orangesports/index.ssf/2015/03/comprehensive_timeline_of_ncaa_investigation_into_syracuse.html">number of allegations</a> related to academic fraud, athletes receiving "impermissible benefits" and not following its own drug policy.</p>
</li>
<li dir="ltr">
<p dir="ltr">Orange coach Jim Boeheim was suspended for nine games this season, and the program received a number of scholarship losses, intended to punish the program this year and in the future. Instead, Syracuse is in the Final Four.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p dir="ltr">While punishing players for getting free stuff from boosters, like at Syracuse, is dumb, academic fraud is a serious issue, and one that should be taken seriously.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In reality, this is the NCAA's own procedures coming back to bite it. The association talks tough on academic fraud allegations, but despite all of its preaching, it really is just a corporation. It knows that Syracuse and North Carolina make it money, so it won't punish them too hard, even though it would rather they stay out of the public eye like this, at least for a little bit.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As the punishment for North Carolina grows nearer, it's clear the NCAA is not going to punish the men's basketball program too severely. In fact, <a href="https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/if-the-ncaa-is-mad-at-roy-williams-it-probably-will-punish-unc-womens-basketball">most of the focus seems to be on women's basketball</a>, despite the fact that former tutors and players have said that the men's team participated in the fraud, as well.</p>
<p dir="ltr">In the NCAA's perfect world, it would lay down pseudo-tough penalties on UNC and Syracuse intended to hurt them for a year or two, but not enough to actually hurt their programs. Then it could talk tough on academic fraud while keeping two of its money-makers intact.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Instead, North Carolina and Syracuse are playing as representatives of the NCAA's system. That might not be what the NCAA wants, but it's representative of the reality the association has created.</p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>Best NCAA Tournament Player:</b> <i>Was it Carmelo Anthony or Christian Laettner?</i></p>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Carmelo Anthony vs. Christian Laettner | 7254" data-volume-uuid="e1bbbd115" data-volume-id="7254" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-1319" class="volume-video"></div>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/30/11331882/north-carolina-syracuse-ncaa-scandal-sanctionsKevin Trahan2016-03-28T09:47:00-04:002016-03-28T09:47:00-04:00Herman has a good idea about player transfers
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/eJtixJrSuH6VtBPug9_uSeuvvIk=/0x195:1971x1509/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49169395/usa-today-8975956.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Thomas B. Shea-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Here's a more player-friendly view, compared to the hard-line stance of many coaches.</p> <p>The NCAA's transfer rules are some of its most unjust policies. The association forces its unpaid athletes to sit out a year after transferring, even if their circumstances change at their first schools, such as coaching changes. Schools can also block transfers to certain schools.</p>
<p><a href="http://footballscoop.com/news/kirby-smart-explains-unpopular-decision-head-coaches-make-regarding-transfer-restrictions/">Georgia coach Kirby Smart was criticized</a> for refusing to allow players to transfer to Miami and follow former coach Mark Richt.</p>
<p>Even the NCAA's most relaxed transfer rule -- the graduate transfer rule, which allows plays to avoid sitting out a year if they have already graduated from their previous school -- is under scrutiny. Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski <a href="http://duke.247sports.com/Bolt/Dukes-Mike-Krzyzewski-criticizes-NCAAs-graduate-transfer-rule-44439195?Referer=CBSSPORTS">recently called for that rule to be abolished</a>.</p>
<p>But at least one coach has a refreshing view on transfers. Houston coach Tom Herman <a href="http://footballscoop.com/news/tom-herman-thinks-players-should-be-let-out-of-their-scholarships-after-a-coaching-change/">said on the Paul Finebaum Show</a> that he likes the grad transfer rule, and also favors allowing athletes to transfer without sitting out a year in the case of a coaching change.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>I think that, as much as we want the exterior to look like a young man is going to pick a school based on the school and the school alone and it have nothing to do with the people, I think that's living with our head in the sand a little bit. I think that the current transfer standards are okay where they're at. If you're asking my opinion how could they be changed or benefit the student-athlete if there is a coaching change a student-athlete should be able to leave on his own accord and be eligible immediately.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Herman is not entirely progressive on transfers. He still said he prefers a "cooling-off period" of one year for transfers who just aren't happy at their current school. Since athletes are unpaid and without technical employment contracts, the one-year non-compete has been criticized by players' rights activists.</p>
<p>However, Herman's position gets to the heart of why transfer hard-liners' positions aren't based in reality.</p>
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2016/3/26/11309306/tom-herman-houston-ncaa-player-transfers-coaching-changeKevin Trahan2016-03-27T09:00:02-04:002016-03-27T09:00:02-04:00How to watch Virginia vs. Syracuse
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<figcaption>Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>It's an ACC showdown in the Elite Eight.</p> <p>The entire right side of the NCAA Tournament bracket is a four-team ACC Tournament race to the National Championship, with four Elite Eight teams from the conference. In the Midwest region, No. 1 Virginia will take on No. 10 Syracuse for the right to go to the Final Four and face the winner of North Carolina-Notre Dame.</p>
<p>Virginia has gotten here by dismantling opponents in the only way the Cavaliers know how. They have been ultra-efficient on both offense and defense, and they've slowed the pace of the game down to a near-hault once they've gotten the lead. The Cavs took a double-digit lead early on against Iowa State in the Sweet Sixteen, and they never looked back, carving up ISU's suspect defense with textbook passing and post play.</p>
<p>Virginia scored 52 post points and had 15 first-half assists en route to an easy, 13-point win over the Cyclones. Now, the top-seeded Cavaliers get to face a familiar foe. Syracuse and UVA have only met once this year — an eight-point win for the Cavaliers in Charlottesville. While Virginia has been consistently great, Syracuse has been wildly inconsistent.</p>
<p>The Orange have wins over Texas A&M and UConn at a neutral site, Duke on the road and Notre Dame at home. But they have also lost to St. John's and Georgetown.</p>
<p>During the NCAA Tournament, we've mostly seen "Good Syracuse." The Orange dominated Dayton in the second half, then beat giant-killer Middle Tennessee State. After getting off to a slow start and an early 10-point deficit against Gonzaga, Syracuse came back behind the strong play of seniors Michael Gbinije and Trevor Cooney to steal a win.</p>
<p>Syracuse has struggled with good frontcourts, and Virginia's frontcourt is one of the best. But in a strange tournament, who knows what could happen with an inconsistent Syracuse team.</p>
<h4>How to watch:</h4>
<p><b>Time</b>: 6:09 p.m. ET<br><b>TV</b>: TBS<br><b>Online</b>: <a style="background-color: #ffffff;" href="http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/">March Madness Live</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>March Madness:</b> <i>Does 6-seed Notre Dame qualify as a Cinderella story?</i></p>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Chasing Cinderella 2016: Notre Dame basketball | 7536" data-volume-uuid="fbeca7d92" data-volume-id="7536" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-6136" class="volume-video"></div>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/27/11309838/virginia-vs-syracuse-2016-watch-online-time-tv-schedule-ncaa-tournamentKevin Trahan2016-03-27T09:00:02-04:002016-03-27T09:00:02-04:00How to watch North Carolina vs. Notre Dame
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Wx9b-eIyTib4nB_Pl1DfxULTbKQ=/0x0:4336x2891/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49170437/usa-today-9176546.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The UNC-Notre Dame rubber match takes place in the Elite Eight.</p> <p>The entire right side of the NCAA Tournament bracket <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/26/11308106/acc-ncaa-tournament-elite-eight-records">is made up of ACC teams</a>, which means the conference will have two teams in the Final Four and one in the National Championship game. In the East region, No. 1 North Carolina and No. 6 Notre Dame will play to determine who will be one of the conference's Final Four representatives and play the winner of Virginia-Syracuse.</p>
<p>North Carolina got here with little resistance. The Tar Heels have a dominant inside game, and after slow starts against both Florida Gulf Coast and Providence, they took off to blow out the Eagles and Friars in the second half. Against Indiana in the Sweet Sixteen, UNC was as unbeatable as it has been all season. The Tar Heels have struggled to hit threes, but they were hitting from beyond the arc against the Hoosiers, scoring 101 points. Even in a solid performance, <a href="http://www.crimsonquarry.com/2016/3/26/11309414/north-carolina-101-indiana-86-hot-shooting-heels-race-hoosiers-right">Indiana had no hope</a>.</p>
<p>Notre Dame's path has been different. The Irish have finished every game with some sort of drama. They went down by 12 at halftime to Michigan before coming back to win. Then they tore Cinderella's dreams to shreds, beating No. 14-seed Stephen F. Austin <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/20/11273214/notre-dame-stephen-f-austin-ncaa-tournament-sweet-16">on a last-second tip-in</a>.</p>
<p>The Irish saved their best trick for last. Down one with 19 seconds left, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/lookit/2016/3/25/11307460/notre-dame-wisconsin-sweet-16-finish-demetrius-jackson">they got a steal to take the lead on a lay-up</a>. Then they got another steal as Wisconsin attempted a game-tying three-pointer.</p>
<p>These two teams meet for the third time this year. Notre Dame won the first meeting, 80-76, at home, while North Carolina crushed the Tar Heels, 78-47, in the ACC Tournament.</p>
<h4>How to watch:</h4>
<p><b>Time</b>: 8:49 p.m. ET<br><b>TV</b>: TBS<br><b>Online</b>: <a href="http://www.ncaa.com/march-madness-live/watch">March Madness Live</a></p>
<p style="text-align: center; letter-spacing: 0.25em">* * *</p>
<p><b>March Madness:</b> <i>Does 10-seed Syracuse qualify as a Cinderella story?</i></p>
<div data-analytics-viewport="video" data-analytics-action="volume:view:article:middle" data-analytics-label="Chasing Cinderella 2016: Syracuse basketball | 7548" data-volume-uuid="d77e776d7" data-volume-id="7548" data-analytics-placement="article:middle" data-volume-placement="article" id="volume-placement-8106" class="volume-video"></div>
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https://www.sbnation.com/college-basketball/2016/3/27/11309988/north-carolina-vs-notre-dame-2016-watch-online-time-tv-schedule-ncaa-tournamentKevin Trahan