This should be a no-brainer.
The proposal, which first began gaining steam more than a year ago, would allow football players to participate in up to four games in a season without burning their redshirt year.
With seasons getting ever longer (15 games for the teams that reach the national championship) and injuries frequently ravaging rosters, the proposal would allow for coaches to call on freshmen in emergency situations late in the year without sacrificing a player’s entire year of eligibility. As a bonus, it might help enliven interest in the lesser bowl games — which many star draft prospects are now choosing to sit out — by giving fans an early peek at some guys they’ve been hearing about since they were recruits.
All in all, it seems like a no-brainer, which is why coaches across the country have unanimously supported it. Over the past year, the thing has been studied and debated by rounds of committees and subcommittees. Formal adoption by the wider membership would seem like a formality at this point.
But this being the NCAA legislative process, nothing can possibly be that simple.