BYU football, RMs, and the redshirt rule

[JAHS]

 "Last month, the NCAA announced a major rule change — football players can participate in up to four games in a season without burning a redshirt year.
For BYU, this redshirt rule change could be a big boon because of the dozens of returned missionaries in the program. Most players return home from missions and need time to return to form both physically and mentally.
This rule change allows them to gain some valuable experience while maintaining a season of eligibility.
“It’s better for us. It’s more of a benefit for us than other programs, specifically because of the returned missionaries,” said coach Kalani Sitake. “Most of our missionaries are going in the summer after they graduate from high school. They get home in the summer, which doesn’t give you much time to get ready for the season. But if you add in playing in the last four games, that’s a huge benefit."

What the NCAA’s new rule about redshirt means for BYU and its returned LDS missionaries

BYU Football can use all the help they can get right now.

[Okrahomer]

On 7/3/2018 at 5:28 PM, JAHS said:

BYU Football can use all the help they can get right now.

Amen

[Thinking]

This rule will help everybody.

[mnn727]

What does "Burning a red shirt' mean? I've never heard of it.

[Walden]

50 minutes ago, mnn727 said:

What does "Burning a red shirt' mean? I've never heard of it.

It means forfeiting a redshirt year. College athletes are given an extra year of athletic eligibility that is called a redshirt year. During that time, they can practice with the team but cannot participate in actual games. If they do participate in games, then they essentially forfeit, or burn, that redshirt year.

Under the new rule, an athlete can participate in 4 games and still retain his/her redshirt status for that year.

Though I am no longer LDS, and haven't been for many years, I am still a big fan of BYU football. This rule change should help them, and as JAHS pointed out, BYU football needs all the help they can get right now.

[mnn727]

On 7/13/2018 at 12:52 PM, Walden said:

 College athletes are given an extra year of athletic eligibility that is called a redshirt year. During that time, they can practice with the team but cannot participate in actual games. If they do participate in games, then they essentially forfeit, or burn, that redshirt year.

 

That's a dumb rule to me. Doesn't matter, I'm obviously not a college sports fan, but if they are in college for longer than 4 years (masters, phd, etc) why shouldn't they be eligible to play? 

[Calm]

I suspect because colleges have only so much money to go around and if they could have their better players stay on forever that would mean less players get a chance to be benefitted through scholarships.