"The Big Ten is back, baby!"
That's what I thought when Ohio State won the school's (and the conference's) first football championship since 2002, but also while reading this report from Aaron Kasinitz and Ellie Silverman of DiamondbackOnline.com, Maryland's independent student newspaper:
The Big Ten is hoping for support from its member institutions to begin a “national discussion” about ruling freshmen ineligible for football and men’s basketball, according to a document obtained by The Diamondback.
“What I like about the concept of the proposal is it puts right up front the basic issue: Are we basically a quasi-professional activity or primarily an educational activity?” university President Wallace Loh said. “And if you support it, you are basically saying very clearly the No. 1 priority is the education of the students.”
There would be many other, less draconian measures than banning freshmen from the Big Ten's two biggest revenue sports, but this might be the b1ggest.
It should be noted, however, this isn't an original idea from the Big Ten. The ACC, Pac-12, and Big 12 are all reportedly weighing similar options.
One person who I assume would be against this would be Urban Meyer, who has stated on numerous occasions he does not recruit to redshirt.
Unless this is a ban every member of every power conference is going to make, then I fail to see how this wouldn't be used to negatively recruit against Ohio State (and other B1G members with title hopes) with the nation's blue-chip talent.
I don't mean to put words in the three-time champion's mouth, but that doesn't strike me as a proposition he'd be cool with.
(UPDATE 3:24 p.m.): We can count linebacker/freak Darron Lee as a "nay" on this idea:
@11W what genius thought of this idea
— Darron Lee (@DLeeMG8) February 19, 2015
