Huge LAX news... we may be very, very, very good next year!!

[JasonEvans]

The NCAA just granted Duke's appeal giving every member of last year's team an extra year of elligibilty. Still getting all the details, but I think this means that all the seniors on this year's team that wants to come back and play again would be allowed to.

More in a minute!!

-Jason

[JasonEvans]

Wow-- who needs recruits. Our entire senior class just got an extra year of elligibility!!!!! All seniors are juniors, all juniors are sophs, all sophs are freshman.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- The NCAA on Wednesday granted Duke's
request for an extra year of eligibility for its men's lacrosse
players following a rape scandal that led to the cancellation of
much of last season.

Duke played just eight games in 2006 before the university
canceled what was left of the season as police investigated
allegations a woman was raped at a team party.

Three players were later indicted, but the accusations were
eventually debunked by North Carolina's top prosecutor, who called
the trio "innocent" victims of a "tragic rush to accuse."

The waiver affects all players who were not seniors during the
'06 season, and it grants them a fifth year of eligibility
regardless of whether they play at Duke or another school.

The announcement comes just two days after the Blue Devils
(17-3) lost to Johns Hopkins 12-11 in the NCAA championship game.

Essentially, this means that if they want the entire team could come back for next season.

-Jason "I am shocked the NCAA took this action so quickly (Duke only petitioned like a week or two ago) and so much in Duke's favor" Evans

[DevilAlumna]

That's great news for Reade and Collin as well, considering they essentially had two seasons taken away. I hope they have great LAX careers with their new teams. (Though of course, if they play Duke, we know who to cheer for.)

[GopherBlue]

Wow. . . .

How many seniors does this ruling directly affect?

Of course, this ruling would seem to have implications for the next several years, as the juniors, and sophs will face the 5th year option in the future. As few players receive significant athletic scholarship support, year 5 may be difficult to justify from a financial perspective.

. . . . wow.

[JasonEvans]

Wow. . . .

How many seniors does this ruling directly affect?

Of course, this ruling would seem to have implications for the next several years, as the juniors, sophs, and frosh will face the 5th year option in the future. As few players receive significant athletic scholarship support, year 5 may be difficult to justify from a financial perspective.

. . . . wow.

Note-- this would not affect current freshmen. It only applies to players who were on the team that got the season cancelled in 2006.

-Jason "we lost 3 first team All-Americans to graduation and lost goalie Loftus (3rd team A-A) as well... would those guys come back to go for that elusive national title?" Evans

[Mike Corey]

From the NCAA:

INDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff has granted a season-of-competition waiver to 33 student-athletes who participated on the Duke University men’s lacrosse team during the 2006 season. The waiver was requested by Duke University for all men’s lacrosse student-athletes who were not seniors during the 2006 season.

The waiver provides each of the student-athletes a fifth year of eligibility to play lacrosse, regardless if the participation is for Duke or another NCAA institution. Duke University applied for the additional season of competition after canceling the 2006 season amid criminal allegations against some members of the team.

“These individuals were involved in an unusual circumstance that we believe warrants providing them the opportunity to complete their four years of competition,” said Jennifer Strawley, NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement and membership services.

The student-athlete reinstatement staff considered a number of factors in determining that a waiver of NCAA regulations was appropriate. These factors included the unusual and extenuating circumstances surrounding the cancellation of the season; the hardship endured by the team from the false allegations; and the unanimous endorsement by the Atlantic Coast Conference university presidents for the waiver.

At least a few of the current seniors already had jobs lined up.

It will be interesting to see who decides to come back for another year and who opts to move on. Regardless of what they ultimately decide to do, I'm glad they have the opportunity to make such a decision.

[blazindw]

This is incredible. Kudos to the NCAA for doing their part to give these kids back something that was wrongfully taken away from them. I hope all the seniors consider staying, because if so, maybe next year is the year. Go Duke!

[bill brill]

this must be an alltime speed record for the ncaa to honor a request. my main question now is how will they handle the scholarship money. I can't imagine that duke would be allowed to give over the ncaa max of 11.7 grants. with the great class of 15 coming in, they will now have a huge squad if many of the 13 seniors come back. before the final four, danowski and, I believe o'hara, said they would. I would guess that only the regulars would even consider it. but even if a handful come back. (a) the team will be very good and (b) the juggling of scholarship money will be intriguing.

[Duke09]

In a stunning move, NCAA gives Duke lacrosse another year of eligibility for the lost 2006 season
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=2887146

[Atlanta Duke]

Good news for anyone who wants another year at the Gothic Wonderland, but seeing as these players have options other than pro lax and can start their life's work at places like Goldman or Morgan Stanley, I would assume not everyone is going to exercise the option to return for a 5th year after graduating. Among other issues, I wonder how the scholarship $$ get divided up - this presumably will not be the same as being a 5th year redshirt on full scholarship.

[grossbus]

maybe a bigger deal for the juniors? while we have some great seniors, i suspect, as mentioned above, that this late in the year they have to have made plans.

[Noteware]

I'm wondering whether Duke can find a creative way to give these guys a 5th year of scholarships by funding them from the grad schools. Could Loftus, for example, get into Fuqua and get a full ride? Would that count against the athletic department's limits?

[feldspar]

Sorry to be the sourpuss, but why do we still have a Lacrosse board still if it's not being used?

Should it perhaps instead be renamed the LAX Scandal Board?

[Oriole Way]

maybe a bigger deal for the juniors? while we have some great seniors, i suspect, as mentioned above, that this late in the year they have to have made plans.

I think the seniors would be able to get the same jobs next year. If not the same jobs, similar ones in the same fields. I really think that if Danowski and Loftus decide to come back, everyone else will too.

On a couple of the telecasts, I remember hearing that, as someone mentioned above, Danowski and a couple other seniors said they would come back.

Great news, I would be surprised if the seniors didn't want another chance at a championship. We would have to be pretty big favorites next year.

[77devil]

Good news for anyone who wants another year at the Gothic Wonderland, but seeing as these players have options other than pro lax and can start their life's work at places like Goldman or Morgan Stanley, I would assume not everyone is going to exercise the option to return for a 5th year after graduating. Among other issues, I wonder how the scholarship $$ get divided up - this presumably will not be the same as being a 5th year redshirt on full scholarship.

Given entry life at a Wall Street investment bank, another year at the Gothic Wonderland should be quite appealing as long as the firms are willing to defer the offer which they do routinely.

[The Gordog]

Because this is sports related news. That other board is for trial related stuff (and should be closed down any day now.)

[feldspar]

Because this is sports related news. That other board is for trial related stuff (and should be closed down any day now.)

Thanks. I wasn't aware that this was the policy. I was under the impression the LAX board was just for LAX news.

[Exiled_Devil]

Given entry life at a Wall Street investment bank, another year at the Gothic Wonderland should be quite appealing as long as the firms are willing to defer the offer which they do routinely.

I can also easily see a situation where the players have 'paid internships' at their companies in the fall, and then enroll in some classes (grad or u-grad) in the spring.

The idea of them getting money from Fuqua is highly unlikely. IIRC, Fuqua's tuition is about 2x the undergrad tuition, and the only students who get scholarships are only given to PhD students. It's too late to get in as a PhD student at Fuqua, and the faculty take the PhD program incredibly seriously, such that they would not want to offer someone time there without the expectations of that someone focusing solely on academics.

Having said that, the new Dean may want to do something for interested lacrosse players - he is not adverse to bending tradition to do the right thing, and I think that he is sympathetic to these players. I would not bank on the business school, though.

I think that the best bet is financing through future employers.

Exiled

[feldspar]

(and should be closed down any day now.)

Why is that? It's still a pretty active board.

[Duvall]

That other board is for trial related stuff (and should be closed down any day now.)

God, I hope not. We don't want the crazy spilling over to the boards that are still salvageable.