Forum › Forum › Lehigh Sports › Lehigh Football › Mason Halter Situation – Fordham
Tagged: Fordham, Mason Halter, Patriot League, Transfers
This topic contains 13 replies, has 6 voices, and was last updated by sundayamqb 9 years, 6 months ago.
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August 12, 2015 at 4:00 pm #20917
In case you weren’t aware, Fordham OL Mason Halter transferred to Florida, where he’s now slated to be the starter.
The interesting part of his story is that he claims that Patriot League transfer guidelines were the reason why he didn’t stay at Fordham.
While happy for his chance with the Gators, Halter said he actually would have remained at Fordham for his final season. But the Patriot League’s narrow guidelines did not allow him to receive a fifth year of eligibility, despite sitting out his freshman season with mononucleosis.
The rules forced Halter to find a new home. The fact he graduated – in economics and business administration – allowed Halter to pursue a master’s degree and play immediately somewhere else.
“If I could have played again I definitely would have stayed,” Halter said of Fordham. “I was comfortable with the coaches. I loved it up there in New York.”
The only problem is that there’s nothing really in the actual PL rules which seems to deny him.
>A. Standard Waivers
Such waiver requests will be approved in writing by the institution’s President/Superintendent, reviewed by the Executive Director and reported to the Policy Committee during their November or May meeting in order to monitor compliance with the spirit of the rule. [Council, June 2002]i. Years of Eligibility due to an NCAA Hardship Waiver An extension of undergraduate Patriot League eligibility may be granted by a League institution at its discretion to a student who misses a season ofcompetition as a result of a serious injury and/or illness and receives anNCAA Hardship Waiver. [Council, June 2002] (Please note that an institution must file a corresponding NCAA Hardship Waiver for review by the Executive Director to insure all NCAA requirements are met. The NCAA Hardship Waiver will be included in Patriot League waiver report to Policy Committee.)
To me, it seems like either Fordham screwed up, the NCAA denied his hardship waiver, or Mason simply wanted to test the waters a la Vernon Adams. But what is abundantly clear is that there’s no “Mason Halter” rule in the Patriot League rules which specifically denies him the ability to continue at Fordham. It clearly states that it’s up to Fordham’s discretion and up to Fordham to file an NCAA hardship waiver.
Thoughts?
August 12, 2015 at 4:47 pm #20920There are numerous cases of players getting a 5th yearin PL due to issues other than football injuries,ie illnesd,non football injury,family circumstance.
This story appears to be a “cover your ass” move by Fordham. There must be unreported facts necessary to explain this siuation.August 12, 2015 at 5:42 pm #20921maybe he couldn’t get accepted into Fordham’s MBA, or maybe they didn’t want to spend a schollie on him
August 12, 2015 at 5:48 pm #20922Pretty sure he can only get a 5th yr as an undergrad. PL has a very restrictive rule on grad students eligibility. Not all schools have grad schools.
August 12, 2015 at 6:44 pm #20924[quote=20922]Pretty sure he can only get a 5th yr as an undergrad. PL has a very restrictive rule on grad students eligibility. Not all schools have grad schools.
[/quote]I’m pretty sure you can graduate from four-year PL college and started taking grad school courses in the same school and still play out your last year of eligiblity. I thought that’s how some Lehigh players have been able to play their final years of eligibility (through medical hardship).
Incidentally the exact same thing is allowed in the Ivy League.
August 12, 2015 at 6:55 pm #20925Is the restriction then only on grad transfers into PL?
August 13, 2015 at 12:52 am #20936I think LU has had graduate students play.
Could be an admissions or scholarship thing.
August 13, 2015 at 1:17 am #20943Reread the rule. Yes,if eligible for a waiver,he can use hus 5th year as a grad student.
August 13, 2015 at 2:25 am #20949Over the years, many grad students have played in various sports in the PL. Football, basketball, etc.
August 13, 2015 at 2:37 am #20952note that this is only Halter’s 4th year of football, so he did not need any kind of waiver to play at Florida. To play in the PL, however, he would have needed a hardship waiver since a 5th year is not automatic, as it is under NCAA rules. Possibly Fordham didn’t put it in or possibly his mono wasn’t serious enough to prevent him from playing for 100% of the 2012 season.
Note also that the decision that a player qualifies for another year as a medical hardship case normally is made by the league, per the NCAA bylaws.
August 13, 2015 at 2:42 am #20954Thanks JB. Best source always for real info.
August 13, 2015 at 3:07 pm #20955Good for Mason!
Biggest point here is that a PL starter can start for any other team at any level, including a recent MNC winner in the mighty SEC.
August 13, 2015 at 3:36 pm #20957FatHawk I actually 100% agree. I don’t have an issue at all that Mason Halter actually transferred. I do have a problem with how it did it, i.e. throwing the PL under the bus and not telling the truth about it.
August 14, 2015 at 12:28 am #20966Ditto, lfnadmin, FatHawk
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