Coaches To Challenge Draft Rule
 

Several prominent BCS coaches are pushing their university presidents to petition the NCAA for an NFL draft opt-out rule that would allow eligible underclassmen who declare for the draft to return to school if they don't hire an agent--much like in college basketball. The cutoff date likely would be after the Scouting Combine--possibly March 1--which would allow players time to judge their draft prospects.

Matt Hayes
http://collegefootball.rivals.com/Co...asp?cid=671124

Actually I like the idea. I know the coaches are to talk with the players before hand but sometimes the agents get the best of them.

Actually I like the idea. I know the coaches are to talk with the players before hand but sometimes the agents get the best of them.[/QUOTE]

The problem is the NCAA and NFL are both powerful, and a lot of times don't work well together. I wish they would just come to consensus and do what is right for the students.

Look at Mike Williams from USC 3 years ago- told one thing, then another, and then has to sit out a year. Who knows what affect that had. The NCAA and NFL need to realize that their success is dependent on a good working relationship.

This is actually a good idea. It gives the players more time to evaluate themselves and make a better decision regarding their future.

I don't think the rule as stated would help. So, a junior declares eligible for the draft in january. Do you think that his mind will change much about his prospects between then and March 1? Maybe 1 or 2 would decide to go back to school because of a bad combine, but that would pale to the extra number of juniors that declare eligible based on the new rule. The emphasis should be to stay in school unless being drafted is a lock.

Mike Williams situation doesn't really apply because he was taking a chance that Clarett's court challenge of the NFL's rule for eligibility would be successful. He knew that under the rule in place at that time that he wasn't eligible. That was bad advice, but even this proposed rule change wouldn't have helped him.

If you want a rule like this to work, then it needs to state that a junior who declares himself eligible for the draft and is not drafted and did not sign an agent, can return for his senior season. At least with this rule a player who makes a terrible misjudgment of his potential draft status might be able to return to school.

I don't know what the NFL rule is for declaring eligible for the draft one year and then again the next, if not drafted. I think it is ok. It's the NCAA rules that are the problem because once a player declares eligible for the draft he loses his eligibility at school.