Matta dealing with Big Ten freshman eligibility talks on recruiting trail
This past week, reports surfaced that the Big Ten is considering an idea to make freshmen ineligible to play athletics. A similar rule was in place until 1972, but freshmen have been eligible ever since.
According to thelantern.com, Ohio State men's basketball coach Thad Matta believes the rule regarding freshman eligibility won't be changing.
"There's no way they can do that, I just can't see that happening," Matta said Saturday.
Matta says talk of the new rule has been something he's had to contend with over the past week while on the recruiting trail.
"We're getting crushed on this thing," Matta said. "It's not going to happen, why they linked the Big Ten to it, I don't know. But I've been dealing with that the last couple days trying to explain that if it does happen, which it's not going to, but if it does it's not just the Big Ten, it will be across college basketball.
Also, according to the article, Matta isn't positive the rule will only impact the Big Ten, but that coaches from other conferences have been using the idea against the conference.
"I don't know that for a fact, I probably spoke out of turn there, but I'm a little bit upset that I've been dealing with this through the recruiting angles," Matta said.
Obviously the negative feedback from recruits when the idea is just that, an idea, is not a good sign for those who are proponents of a freshman eligibility rule.
