NCAA Football Oversight Committee Will Not Allow Early Enrolled Freshmen to Play Potential Spring Football Season in Big Ten

Schools in the Big Ten and Pac-12 were hoping their early enrollees would be permitted to participate in a potential spring season, but the NCAA Football Oversight Committee is recommending against that to the NCAA Division I Council.

The Buckeyes are certainly disappointed with all that's transpired around their season being postponed, but they were hoping for a silver lining. Perhaps if the season was moved to the second semester, the NCAA might consider allowing early-enrolled freshman to be eligible for games. After all, Ohio State's incoming class is currently the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country and several of those players are enrolling at Ohio State in January.

As it turns out, no such luck.

West Virginia athletic director Shane Lyons is the chair of the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee. They make recommendations to the Division I Council regarding rule changes for the sport. Lyons told Ralph D. Russo of the Associated Press that it will not recommend allowing early-enrolled freshmen the chance to play a spring college football season in the Big Ten, Pac-12, Mid-American Conference or Mountain West.

The committee will also recommend "fall ball" mode for teams that are playing a spring season - essentially, the spring ball schedule in the fall. Teams that play a spring season will not be allowed to conduct any traditional spring ball, regardless of when their seasons end.

This is disappointing news for the Buckeyes, as head coach Ryan Day was in favor of allowing midyear enrollees to play if a season were to begin in January. He said as much on a media conference call last month.

It has not yet been announced if there would be any restrictions for those incoming freshmen like Jack Sawyer, TreVeyon Henderson and several others. It seems reasonable to think those young men could still work out in the team facility, attend team meetings and practices, and work out with the strength and conditioning staff. But they won't be allowed to play in games if a season kicks off in January.

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