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Thursday, May 04, 2006
No honor in Idaho
This has nothing to do with the Patriot League, but when we saw a small item in the transactions column today, we had to look into it a little more.

The item mentioned four players at Idaho will not have their scholarships renewed and three others have left the team voluntarily.

Seeing that in the transactions made us wonder what kind of scandals had hit Idaho.

Apparently none, other than a 4-25 record and a new coach who came in and cleaned house.

According to the Idaho Statesman, new coach George Pfeifer said:
"Based on our win-loss record this past season, changes needed to be made. This aspect of coaching college basketball is business. We have offered to assist those who are choosing to move on."
This is perfectly legal under NCAA rules. Schools are under no obligation to renew scholarships. They are one-year deals that basically make the student-athletes indentured servants.

Terms of those deals are not so favorable to the student-athletes. The now-former Idaho players not only lose the scholarships upon which they made one of the biggest decisions of their young lives -- where to attend college-- they cannot even go someplace else in Division I and play next season, even though they have been basically cast aside by their school's new coach. There is no exception for this situation in the NCAA transfer rules (.pdf).

Leonard Perry, the coach Pfeifer replaced, had two years left on his contract at Idaho. The school says it will honor that contract.

The only thing that appears to be being offered to the players who lost their scholarships is a chance to walk on next season, or assistance in landing someplace else.

Of course Idaho makes no pretense of being honorable. After all, the team's nickname is the Vandals. (Don't bother e-mailing us about Gemanic hordes in the fourth century, either).
Published at 7:14 AM by Hoop Time.
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