The possibility of the NCAA passing a motion that would declare ineligible all freshmen Division I men’s basketball players is inconceivable, The Chronicle of Higher Education reported Thursday.
The newspaper stated that a committee looking to reform NCAA basketball was discussing the freshmen eligibility issue among other issues but that it was the least likely plan to be adopted. Committee members told The Chronicle they didn’t think banning freshmen from varsity play would ever “fly legally.”
The NCAA is in the midst of challenging a federal judge’s decision this spring that declared the association’s use of standardized test scores for eligibility bases illegal because it discriminated against blacks. NCAA President Cedric W. Dempsey originally told USA Today that the reform committee was strongly considering the freshmen ineligibility measure, but some committee members told The Chronicle that the ban might hurt blacks even more in the eyes of the courts.