Will New Boston College QB Phil Jurkovec's Waiver Be Approved?
One of the biggest questions surrounding new transfer quarterback Phil Jurkovec is whether or not he will be eligible to play for Boston College in 2020. Technically, he should have to sit a year being a rising sophomore with three years of eligibility left. But Jurkovec and Boston College might be able to get around the waiting period with a waiver.
Waivers allow transferring players to become immediately eligible, bypassing the year off that typically accompany these moves. According to an AP report, 68% of these waivers are approved, which means that Jurkovec should have a good chance of having his approved. But in order to do that the player and school have to show cause, and the reason has to fall under one of twelve categories.
The most common reasons for waivers are (per AP report):
— Injury or illness to a family member
— Being pushed out of the program by a coach at the original school
— Egregious behavior by the original school
— Mental health.
But what allows a player like Tate Martell to get a waiver because of a lack of playing time? While waivers for players like Brock Hoffman and Luke Ford who wanted to be closer to sick family members were denied? Because it is the NCAA, the answers are all nebulous and not very clear, and the guidelines are so confusing you would need a lawyer to fully understand them. Many fans, players and coaches were frustrated because there seemed to be such a lack of transparency and consistency in the rulings.
The NCAA responded to the criticism on their haphazard decisions by just adding even more required documentation from the player/school last May. Have a sick relative that you want to be closer to? They now want doctors notes and care plans. Never going to play for your school? They want documentation from the AD or coach showing that this is true.
Jurkovec's situation appears to be about playing time, as he announced his decision to enter the transfer portal shortly after Ian Book decided to return to the Fighting Irish. In order to get his waiver approved he would have to show that Brian Kelly never planned on playing him, basically "forcing" him out of the program. Of course these situations are usually private matters, so there may be other factors that no one will ever know about that go into the NCAA's decision.
According to the AP report, the biggest factors going into the decision are the individual schools and the ability to hire lawyers to fight. Using previous precedent as a measuring stick, Boston College fans should like their chances. Offensive lineman Zion Johnson who transferred from Davidson had his waiver approved last summer. And high quality lawyers? Boston College should have a few of those if needed.
But don't expect a lot of updates on this situation until a decision is made by the NCAA. These waivers are private and kept confidential both by the schools and NCAA. Until an announcement is made, expect to be in the dark.