Josh Tyler: You guys may have seen it. I'm going to read it and then get the boring stuff out of the way. And then we're going discuss it here. The NCAA, the proposal that I think a lot of people are freaking out about, the proposed eligibility changes for NCAA. So what is being proposed? And then let's dissect it, get Tyler's opinion. And athletes would receive five full years of eligibility starting from their 19th birthday or high school graduation. comes first. What's being removed is no longer, you can no longer redshirt, which is you could redshirt for a variety of different reasons. ⁓ Redshirt you get ⁓ a of eligibility no longer counts. So if you blow an ACL, that's being removed. Waivers, you somehow did waivers and eligibility exemptions ⁓ would largely be including medical redshirts. So no more requests in extra years. When the clock starts, the clock starts. The only exceptions remaining are maternity leave, service, and religious missions. So we can dive into why this would happen and when could this happen. They're reviewing this proposal immediately with phased implementation potentially starting this fall of 2026. Tyler, ⁓ you, are panicking. do you think here? What do we got going on? ⁓
Tyler: Yes, and from what I read this is just being reviewed currently by the Division 1 cabinet. So the way I kind of interpret that is if it's passed right now, I mean I suppose there's always a possibility it affects all of NCAA. Or it could just affect division one in this initial, if it passes. So once again, these are just discussions that are happening. This has not happened yet. So understand that. But what it does, yeah, everybody gets five years. You don't get to stick around and play seven. You know, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, that's it. You won't have 28 year olds. 29 year olds playing against 18 year olds anymore, which I think.
Josh Tyler: as much and one more year left of this
Tyler: Yes, you did. Which brings back, I think, a little bit of the purity of college sports in that sense, is a good thing. I think it has some pretty big ramifications to soccer, specifically, because soccer has become such a ⁓ hotbed for players ⁓ that ⁓ older. would limit their years they can play at the college, university level, which could then open up the pathway and force teams to once again recruit more ⁓ younger players. mean that have to be American, just might have to recruit younger international players, but the pool is so different now, or would be different that case. So I think that's a big change for the landscape of soccer. You know, in coaches that have always red shirt players, things like that, well, now, you know, that would maybe be a waste. You just want them to play in case they get hurt and they still get their four years. So there are definite things in the world of soccer that I think are affected by this. Personally, I had to an opinion on it, I think that this is a good thing.
Josh Tyler: Mm. All right, so Tyler thinks it's a good thing. Here's another staff for you is that ⁓ we know the NCAA is fighting a ton of lawsuits. And so last year, NCAA received 1,450 waiver requests. They granted two thirds of them. And they spent over $16 million on eligibility cases. So what's happening is judges in different states have been ruling inconsistently. So you could request a transfer in Missouri, don't get what you want, you could sue and the judge in Missouri grants it, but the judge in Illinois may not. So some athletes get extended eligibility and others don't, it depends on whether the case is heard. So the benefit to your positiveness is this new rule is designed to create one clear standard across the board. When they granted two-thirds of them, that's a lot that are being granted. So the problem is going to happen is if players are finished, if this happens, Immediately, had a coach tell me today that he received two text messages. One, he received, I'm of what do I do? And the other was, ⁓ good, I got one more year of eligibility. And it's like, well, just calm down, calm down ⁓ and see So John here said, agreed is a good thing. He agrees with you, Tyler. ⁓ You can in the chat what we got going on here. I do, I think it's a good thing. I think that will happen. especially then, know, again, it's not the internationals. I don't want to make this anti-international. So we don't have a ton of international followers, but just in case. So.
Tyler: think the other thing too, in other sports like basketball, it prevents people from going and getting drafted and playing it. Like that's what happened this past year, I believe in the G League, someone came back from the G League back to Alabama to play and it was like, well, I guess, you know, we have to let him play. And so, you know, that those things will be tougher with this one passing. And I, ⁓ know this is on the heels of, you know, the president putting out an executive order that this is what he thinks should be changed.
Josh Tyler: Mm-hmm.
Tyler: And so maybe that puts some pressure on the NCAA to really look at things. And once again, guys, this doesn't have anything to do with the transfer portal or playing at multiple colleges, et cetera. It's just five years of eligibility starting at graduation or the age 19, whatever comes first. And that's it. So it does simplify some things.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, yeah, the difference of the you brought the executive the difference in the executive order was executive order Limits one transfer you could transfer one time in the executive order so Yeah, so this is different, but I think it is in response to that I think that one of the negatives though Tyler is think about is the there is there was an injury waiver So if you play go your first game and you blow your ACL
Tyler: Yeah, there was like eight layers to that.
Josh Tyler: used to be that you'd be granted an injury waiver for a red. You no longer get the way you're going to get the year back anymore. So you're you're.
Tyler: You get the year back. But the NCAA would argue they built it in. You have five years, you used to have four. And so they built in that year for you so you don't need it. Now, once again, I do think this is a bigger deal if it is all levels of NCAA. ⁓
Josh Tyler: That's also true. That's also true. Yeah, right now she's Division 1, right?
Tyler: Division 1 cabinet is the one researching and discussing. That doesn't mean that it won't affect all of them, but I think that's a big thing. We received an email from the commissioner of the NAIA, of course, because they have to have their response to this and their response, their response basically was, look, we just went through this fifth year of eligibility that was discussed at Division 2 in January and everyone freaked out and they agreed to table it. and not necessarily give the fifth year of eligibility. NAIA then had a discussion, tabled it themselves. And so ⁓ think what their email basically is saying is, ⁓ not doing anything until something actually happens. And then they can respond based off what they feel is best for their division.
Josh Tyler: And I think in general, though, for most high school players entering college at age 18, think very little changes. mean, if I'm current senior, and let's say this does completely pass, I'm gonna and I'm gonna go school, I can still play for five years, great, ⁓ so you five years to play, you can go four years, get one year paid as a graduate, ⁓ start your degree, but really, very little changes the... the American 18-year-old soccer player, I don't think it's going to drastically upset things, do you?
Tyler: No, think the biggest change will be the attention that they get. I think it will grow. And I think that would be a quick definitive change in the 18-year-old boys soccer player that's been neglected and overlooked for the last six years. I think will now get more looks ⁓ understand their ⁓ age timeline will fit in maybe better to some programs. But still, ⁓ you look the and I'm at a smaller school, I'm not at Clemson or something like that. And so the way that I always look at it is if I can get a really good player in for one year, I'd still rather have that player than not have that player at all. And so we still in that culture ⁓ you don't need to have everybody on the same team growing through four years. So maybe it doesn't change things like, well, how old are you? Well, I'm 22 years old. I'm coming from Germany. ⁓ Well, I'd rather have 22 year old German for one year than zero years if they're willing to do that. So ⁓ the only thing that when it comes to winning, that not change in the way that a coach would ⁓ approach this and ⁓ just a coach's perspective.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. How are you seeing, let's say this rolls down to, you know, NAIA or like, how many players in your conference are you seeing that are over, like, so if you say you have five years, so you're 23 years old, if I'm doing math, I don't math well, but are you seeing a lot of players that are over that this is gonna affect?
Tyler: Yeah, so I mean this would affect players that are over like 23, 24 years old. a ton, you know, my guess would be ⁓ and this is probably on the high side 10 percent. And that would be like your D2 NAIA level of men's soccer players, women's, it's like 1%. And so, yeah, so it's not about like losing them and that's gonna just deteriorate a big chunk of things. I think the biggest change would be just being able to hop around schools, getting hurt and just thinking that I can play for eight, nine years, which is kind of a trend right now. And that would really... things and so it's okay like ⁓ my ⁓ don't have enough credits to be eligible enough for my next season I'll just wait it out because I'm not using anything and I'll wait for the next year you can't do that anymore so maybe it curbs a little bit of the transfer pandemic that we have going on and gets under control a bit so maybe this is a little bit of a catch-all for some other things that are happening at the college level too.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, and think it's something interesting too, just to pull up a stat, is that in Division I men's soccer alone there's 1,700 seniors currently competing. A portion of them who are super seniors are graduate students aged 23 to 27. Based on roster data from 802 programs, Division I, 8.1 % are seniors. Division II is 8.28 % are seniors. And then And so that's kind of what that looks like. So if you look at division three, only 6.25 % are seniors. So they have a younger roster. Yeah, so the oldest rosters are division two. So again, it's 23 years old is gonna expire at 23. I do think this is primarily going to affect internationals. And I do think that...
Tyler: interesting.
Josh Tyler: It is a very positive thing because it is really hard for young men to get recruited right now. And I think it goes back to kind of reset a little bit, go back to some normalcy of the recruitment. Because it is easy to go get someone internationally. And I think this kind of resets, a little more, like you more attention to young men going through the recruitment process in the United States.
Tyler: Yeah, mean, yeah, so it definitely gets rid of any really old players that want to come back and play. But I still think, you know, a coach could take a chance on a 22 year old for a year they still might choose that over an 18 year old ⁓ they could develop. I mean, they in a society where you have to win now. And so immediacy is important in the coaching community and results important. And so, ⁓ you know, may not be a huge change, but I think there will be some change for sure.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, for sure. So, but that's what's happening. It's not, it's week ⁓ is, week's the discussion. Correct, I apologize.
Tyler: Next week's the discussion. ⁓ But like Josh said at beginning, this could be implemented for the fall. So that's why people are talking about it.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. Yeah, I would imagine they move pretty quick. Obviously, I think that's what that's the consensus that they're going to move pretty quick.
Tyler: They have to because August is coming quickly.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it is what it is. So we've been discussing the ⁓ proposal. so had some, hang on, here we go. Breaking news we have Tyler Thomas in here, but there you go So so that's what we got going on so Tyler anything that anything to add on on the This would be one the biggest rule changes in history, but this is again. I think what's crazy You know I talking to the coach this is literally how fast things are changing Last week we're like Last week we're like telling young men the gap your program is the best thing in world to do In two weeks from now we may go on yeah gap yourself anymore
Tyler: Yeah, they are changing this fast. You don't need it, you get five years now.
Josh Tyler: is changing. I've never seen this landscape change so fast and rapidly. It's crazy. It's crazy.
Tyler: I think, yeah, so my last thought is it gives balance to the players having control, but the NCAA having compromise.
Josh Tyler: Mm-hmm.
Tyler: That's what we need. both, it needs to be good for both parties. And NCAA ruled so long with an iron fist, the players got neglected. the players have all the control, right? Where can we eventually find that middle? This may be a first step to that. That's my final comment.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. ⁓ That's a great point. like we said, those stats, $16 million just on lawsuits alone. And so I agree with you. ⁓ NCAA was developed to protect student athletes. And I think it kind of got away from that. And so I think you're right. That's a great point if we can get back to the balance here. Anyway, fantastic. So thanks for joining this ⁓ CapChat So for ⁓ Tyler Tomlinson, the winner the Culver Stockton nerd eating contest.
Tyler: ropes nerd ropes I hate those nerd ropes on campus yeah
Josh Tyler: nerd ropes 22 nerd ropes at one time
Tyler: Mm-hmm. It ran the length of the library. Mm-hmm.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, so, has, so anyway, so that is it. guys, thanks for listening.
Tyler: Hasn't used the facilities in two weeks now.
Tyler: Yes, and from what I read this is just being reviewed currently by the Division 1 cabinet. So the way I kind of interpret that is if it's passed right now, I mean I suppose there's always a possibility it affects all of NCAA. Or it could just affect division one in this initial, if it passes. So once again, these are just discussions that are happening. This has not happened yet. So understand that. But what it does, yeah, everybody gets five years. You don't get to stick around and play seven. You know, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, that's it. You won't have 28 year olds. 29 year olds playing against 18 year olds anymore, which I think.
Josh Tyler: as much and one more year left of this
Tyler: Yes, you did. Which brings back, I think, a little bit of the purity of college sports in that sense, is a good thing. I think it has some pretty big ramifications to soccer, specifically, because soccer has become such a ⁓ hotbed for players ⁓ that ⁓ older. would limit their years they can play at the college, university level, which could then open up the pathway and force teams to once again recruit more ⁓ younger players. mean that have to be American, just might have to recruit younger international players, but the pool is so different now, or would be different that case. So I think that's a big change for the landscape of soccer. You know, in coaches that have always red shirt players, things like that, well, now, you know, that would maybe be a waste. You just want them to play in case they get hurt and they still get their four years. So there are definite things in the world of soccer that I think are affected by this. Personally, I had to an opinion on it, I think that this is a good thing.
Josh Tyler: Mm. All right, so Tyler thinks it's a good thing. Here's another staff for you is that ⁓ we know the NCAA is fighting a ton of lawsuits. And so last year, NCAA received 1,450 waiver requests. They granted two thirds of them. And they spent over $16 million on eligibility cases. So what's happening is judges in different states have been ruling inconsistently. So you could request a transfer in Missouri, don't get what you want, you could sue and the judge in Missouri grants it, but the judge in Illinois may not. So some athletes get extended eligibility and others don't, it depends on whether the case is heard. So the benefit to your positiveness is this new rule is designed to create one clear standard across the board. When they granted two-thirds of them, that's a lot that are being granted. So the problem is going to happen is if players are finished, if this happens, Immediately, had a coach tell me today that he received two text messages. One, he received, I'm of what do I do? And the other was, ⁓ good, I got one more year of eligibility. And it's like, well, just calm down, calm down ⁓ and see So John here said, agreed is a good thing. He agrees with you, Tyler. ⁓ You can in the chat what we got going on here. I do, I think it's a good thing. I think that will happen. especially then, know, again, it's not the internationals. I don't want to make this anti-international. So we don't have a ton of international followers, but just in case. So.
Tyler: think the other thing too, in other sports like basketball, it prevents people from going and getting drafted and playing it. Like that's what happened this past year, I believe in the G League, someone came back from the G League back to Alabama to play and it was like, well, I guess, you know, we have to let him play. And so, you know, that those things will be tougher with this one passing. And I, ⁓ know this is on the heels of, you know, the president putting out an executive order that this is what he thinks should be changed.
Josh Tyler: Mm-hmm.
Tyler: And so maybe that puts some pressure on the NCAA to really look at things. And once again, guys, this doesn't have anything to do with the transfer portal or playing at multiple colleges, et cetera. It's just five years of eligibility starting at graduation or the age 19, whatever comes first. And that's it. So it does simplify some things.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, yeah, the difference of the you brought the executive the difference in the executive order was executive order Limits one transfer you could transfer one time in the executive order so Yeah, so this is different, but I think it is in response to that I think that one of the negatives though Tyler is think about is the there is there was an injury waiver So if you play go your first game and you blow your ACL
Tyler: Yeah, there was like eight layers to that.
Josh Tyler: used to be that you'd be granted an injury waiver for a red. You no longer get the way you're going to get the year back anymore. So you're you're.
Tyler: You get the year back. But the NCAA would argue they built it in. You have five years, you used to have four. And so they built in that year for you so you don't need it. Now, once again, I do think this is a bigger deal if it is all levels of NCAA. ⁓
Josh Tyler: That's also true. That's also true. Yeah, right now she's Division 1, right?
Tyler: Division 1 cabinet is the one researching and discussing. That doesn't mean that it won't affect all of them, but I think that's a big thing. We received an email from the commissioner of the NAIA, of course, because they have to have their response to this and their response, their response basically was, look, we just went through this fifth year of eligibility that was discussed at Division 2 in January and everyone freaked out and they agreed to table it. and not necessarily give the fifth year of eligibility. NAIA then had a discussion, tabled it themselves. And so ⁓ think what their email basically is saying is, ⁓ not doing anything until something actually happens. And then they can respond based off what they feel is best for their division.
Josh Tyler: And I think in general, though, for most high school players entering college at age 18, think very little changes. mean, if I'm current senior, and let's say this does completely pass, I'm gonna and I'm gonna go school, I can still play for five years, great, ⁓ so you five years to play, you can go four years, get one year paid as a graduate, ⁓ start your degree, but really, very little changes the... the American 18-year-old soccer player, I don't think it's going to drastically upset things, do you?
Tyler: No, think the biggest change will be the attention that they get. I think it will grow. And I think that would be a quick definitive change in the 18-year-old boys soccer player that's been neglected and overlooked for the last six years. I think will now get more looks ⁓ understand their ⁓ age timeline will fit in maybe better to some programs. But still, ⁓ you look the and I'm at a smaller school, I'm not at Clemson or something like that. And so the way that I always look at it is if I can get a really good player in for one year, I'd still rather have that player than not have that player at all. And so we still in that culture ⁓ you don't need to have everybody on the same team growing through four years. So maybe it doesn't change things like, well, how old are you? Well, I'm 22 years old. I'm coming from Germany. ⁓ Well, I'd rather have 22 year old German for one year than zero years if they're willing to do that. So ⁓ the only thing that when it comes to winning, that not change in the way that a coach would ⁓ approach this and ⁓ just a coach's perspective.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. How are you seeing, let's say this rolls down to, you know, NAIA or like, how many players in your conference are you seeing that are over, like, so if you say you have five years, so you're 23 years old, if I'm doing math, I don't math well, but are you seeing a lot of players that are over that this is gonna affect?
Tyler: Yeah, so I mean this would affect players that are over like 23, 24 years old. a ton, you know, my guess would be ⁓ and this is probably on the high side 10 percent. And that would be like your D2 NAIA level of men's soccer players, women's, it's like 1%. And so, yeah, so it's not about like losing them and that's gonna just deteriorate a big chunk of things. I think the biggest change would be just being able to hop around schools, getting hurt and just thinking that I can play for eight, nine years, which is kind of a trend right now. And that would really... things and so it's okay like ⁓ my ⁓ don't have enough credits to be eligible enough for my next season I'll just wait it out because I'm not using anything and I'll wait for the next year you can't do that anymore so maybe it curbs a little bit of the transfer pandemic that we have going on and gets under control a bit so maybe this is a little bit of a catch-all for some other things that are happening at the college level too.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, and think it's something interesting too, just to pull up a stat, is that in Division I men's soccer alone there's 1,700 seniors currently competing. A portion of them who are super seniors are graduate students aged 23 to 27. Based on roster data from 802 programs, Division I, 8.1 % are seniors. Division II is 8.28 % are seniors. And then And so that's kind of what that looks like. So if you look at division three, only 6.25 % are seniors. So they have a younger roster. Yeah, so the oldest rosters are division two. So again, it's 23 years old is gonna expire at 23. I do think this is primarily going to affect internationals. And I do think that...
Tyler: interesting.
Josh Tyler: It is a very positive thing because it is really hard for young men to get recruited right now. And I think it goes back to kind of reset a little bit, go back to some normalcy of the recruitment. Because it is easy to go get someone internationally. And I think this kind of resets, a little more, like you more attention to young men going through the recruitment process in the United States.
Tyler: Yeah, mean, yeah, so it definitely gets rid of any really old players that want to come back and play. But I still think, you know, a coach could take a chance on a 22 year old for a year they still might choose that over an 18 year old ⁓ they could develop. I mean, they in a society where you have to win now. And so immediacy is important in the coaching community and results important. And so, ⁓ you know, may not be a huge change, but I think there will be some change for sure.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, for sure. So, but that's what's happening. It's not, it's week ⁓ is, week's the discussion. Correct, I apologize.
Tyler: Next week's the discussion. ⁓ But like Josh said at beginning, this could be implemented for the fall. So that's why people are talking about it.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. Yeah, I would imagine they move pretty quick. Obviously, I think that's what that's the consensus that they're going to move pretty quick.
Tyler: They have to because August is coming quickly.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it is what it is. So we've been discussing the ⁓ proposal. so had some, hang on, here we go. Breaking news we have Tyler Thomas in here, but there you go So so that's what we got going on so Tyler anything that anything to add on on the This would be one the biggest rule changes in history, but this is again. I think what's crazy You know I talking to the coach this is literally how fast things are changing Last week we're like Last week we're like telling young men the gap your program is the best thing in world to do In two weeks from now we may go on yeah gap yourself anymore
Tyler: Yeah, they are changing this fast. You don't need it, you get five years now.
Josh Tyler: is changing. I've never seen this landscape change so fast and rapidly. It's crazy. It's crazy.
Tyler: I think, yeah, so my last thought is it gives balance to the players having control, but the NCAA having compromise.
Josh Tyler: Mm-hmm.
Tyler: That's what we need. both, it needs to be good for both parties. And NCAA ruled so long with an iron fist, the players got neglected. the players have all the control, right? Where can we eventually find that middle? This may be a first step to that. That's my final comment.
Josh Tyler: Yeah. ⁓ That's a great point. like we said, those stats, $16 million just on lawsuits alone. And so I agree with you. ⁓ NCAA was developed to protect student athletes. And I think it kind of got away from that. And so I think you're right. That's a great point if we can get back to the balance here. Anyway, fantastic. So thanks for joining this ⁓ CapChat So for ⁓ Tyler Tomlinson, the winner the Culver Stockton nerd eating contest.
Tyler: ropes nerd ropes I hate those nerd ropes on campus yeah
Josh Tyler: nerd ropes 22 nerd ropes at one time
Tyler: Mm-hmm. It ran the length of the library. Mm-hmm.
Josh Tyler: Yeah, so, has, so anyway, so that is it. guys, thanks for listening.
Tyler: Hasn't used the facilities in two weeks now.
