OT - Brandon Willis (Tennessee EE) Enrolls at UNC

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January 13th, 2010 at 6:27 PM
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Clarence Beeks
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OT - Brandon Willis (Tennessee EE) Enrolls at UNC

This is OT, but not because of the question that it raises. The back story is this: Willis was on campus in Knoxville and was going to start class at Tennessee today. Kiffin leaves. Willis decommits and commits to UNC and enrolls as an EE.

Now, the question: can someone tell me how in the world that someone goes from being enrolled at Tennessee to being enrolled at UNC in less than 12 hours? I mean, I'm sure I'm not the only one who had to APPLY to college and be ACCEPTED before I could ENROLL and that entire process definitely didn't happen in less than 12 hours. The whole Kiffin situation has stink written all over it, but so does this move by UNC.

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100113/NEWS/100119899/1112?Title=Bran...

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January 13th, 2010 at 6:29 PM | A lot of kids previously (Score:1)
mscharbo15
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Joined: 01/12/2009
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A lot of kids previously apply to and have the early enrollment option for their top 2-3 choices, so something drastic doesn't prevent them from getting a head start on their career.

This isn't slimy at all.

January 13th, 2010 at 6:33 PM | "This isn't slimy at all." (Score:1)
WichitanWolverine
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That's what she said?

January 13th, 2010 at 6:32 PM | Some of the commits that (Score:1)
Adrian
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Some of the commits that enrolled got screwed over. The AD told them since they were already on campus they were already enrolled. I will try to link the story on here I cant find it at the moment.

Hail Yes

January 13th, 2010 at 8:25 PM | That can't be quite accurate (Score:1)
Clarence Beeks
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That can't be quite accurate because Willis was on campus in Knoxville. He'd been there since Monday.

January 13th, 2010 at 6:45 PM | this was mentioned today (Score:1)
fleetwoodzback
Joined: 08/28/2008
MGoPoints: 358

this was mentioned today during the press conference by AD Mike Hamilton and in his words the kids that were enrolled as of midnight this morning are considered enrolled at UT and would have to go through the normal transfer process and have to sit out a year. i am looking for a link to this as well.

January 13th, 2010 at 6:53 PM | Hmmm.... (Score:1)
TTUwolverine
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But if he has not signed a letter of intent, why would he have to sit out a year? I am not up on my transfer rules, so I have no idea.

January 13th, 2010 at 7:17 PM | Once you are a student at a (Score:1)
Little Bro
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Once you are a student at a school you fall under the transfer rules. A NLOI puts you under those rules earlier than you normally would be subject to. Kids who enroll early never sign NLOI because they don't need to.

January 13th, 2010 at 7:28 PM | What would happen if a player (Score:1)
mgopat
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What would happen if a player enrolled early at one school and then signed a NLOI for another school?

January 13th, 2010 at 7:41 PM | Can't happen, you're off (Score:1)
gater
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Can't happen, you're off limits once you enroll and start classes

January 14th, 2010 at 3:11 AM | Here is the press conference. (Score:1)
mgowin
Joined: 03/03/2009
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Here is the press conference. The quote on the EE students is cut from the interview. To paraphrase Hamilton he stated that at 12:01 on Wed (first day of classes) the students had matriculated to the university. That answer was in response to a local media member asking Hamilton about the rumor that coach O was calling players and telling them to not attend classes. Hamilton said that coach O needed to check his rulebook regarding enrollment criteria.

http://utsports.tv/mens-sports/mike-hamilton-on-coaching-situation/

January 14th, 2010 at 10:49 AM | It's apparently not as cut (Score:1)
Clarence Beeks
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It's apparently not as cut and dry as Hamilton would make it appear. The O.C. at Byrnes (who had two players, Willis and Miller, EE at Tennessee) was the head coach at I-AA Presbyterian for a few years ago. His take is different from Hamilton's:

"There are two sides to the NCAA rules in regards to the topic," said District 5 athletic director and Byrnes offensive coordinator Bobby Bentley, who spent two seasons as the head coach at Presbyterian College from 2007-08.

"If an early enrollee signs a national letter of intent, then he is bound to the university. However, an early enrollee can not sign a letter of intent because it is prior to the National Signing Day of Feb 3. If he attends class, it is like signing with the institution. This is one reason why some coaches want an early signing period for football."

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100113/NEWS/100119898/1112

This is from an article about the other player (Miller), who stayed at UT, but didn't go to class because he's not sure if he's staying or not. If any of this is true, and what Hamilton said is not 100% accurate, what he's doing is also pretty shady.

January 14th, 2010 at 12:50 PM | I don't think it says as much (Score:1)
mgowin
Joined: 03/03/2009
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I don't think it says as much about Hamilton being shady as says that the NCAA needs to clarify their rules.

January 14th, 2010 at 12:59 PM | It's shady if he's telling (Score:1)
Clarence Beeks
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It's shady if he's telling those players that's the rule if he's not 100% certain that it's the rule, especially since if he's at all wrong they lose their ability to go elsewhere.

January 15th, 2010 at 2:39 PM | The SEC has now weighed in on (Score:1)
Clarence Beeks
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The SEC has now weighed in on this and Hamilton was wrong:

"ESPN.com, however, reported that according to the Southeastern Conference office, Tennessee misinterpreted the rules by telling its early enrollees that they were bound to the university even though they had not attended classes, provided they were enrolled and on campus at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday."

So according to the SEC the cut off is attending one class that matters. How many different takes are there on this from people who should apparently know?

And also, to further back up my "Hamilton is shady" comment that drew some ire, I'll add this comment:

"Hamilton told the Knoxville News Sentinel on Thursday that he had no intention of releasing the early enrollees."

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20100114/NEWS/100119850/1112?Title=Bent...

January 13th, 2010 at 7:41 PM | Lucky for these kids, classes (Score:1)
gater
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Lucky for these kids, classes started today so if they acted fast (VERY fast) they could take a step back and reevaluate their situation.

January 13th, 2010 at 7:47 PM | The NCAA should just step up (Score:1)
ShockFX
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The NCAA should just step up and offer to void the EE of any UT football player affected. It would be ridiculous not to.

January 13th, 2010 at 8:02 PM | Good thing the NCAA (Score:1)
FGB
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is not in the habit of doing anything ridiculous

January 13th, 2010 at 9:26 PM | Not sure of which rule that is (Score:1)
m83econ
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The Kiffin rule that allows the NCAA to void transfer requirements? Players are free to transfer and petition for a waiver afterwards (as Mallett did). Just don't hold your breath waiting for a positive response.

January 13th, 2010 at 9:50 PM | Uhh, the NCAA makes the (Score:1)
ShockFX
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Uhh, the NCAA makes the rules. They don't need to have one in place to do something.

January 13th, 2010 at 10:45 PM | This feels like a move that (Score:1)
bronxblue
Joined: 11/22/2008
MGoPoints: 12587

This feels like a move that was in the works before Kiffin officially left - maybe Willis read the tea leaves and figured he should have a back-up option just in case.

To a larger extent, I would like to know how the NCAA can square this type of situation with the antiquated notion that everyone who enrolls at a college to play sports is choosing the school and not the particular coaching staff. I understand that officially the players sign up for the school, and for some playing at UT is bigger than whoever is at the helm, but it seems illogical that kids are "trapped" at a school where they man who recruited them, and who they expected to play under, just ran off without much warning. I hope that one day the NCAA is forced to reevaluate its rules (probably will happen via a class-action lawsuit by some enterprising players) and grant current and incoming players the option for a "free" transfer without the usual penalties of lost eligibility.

January 13th, 2010 at 11:14 PM | I heard on the Brian Kenny radio show (Score:1)
gujd
Joined: 12/22/2008
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That Kiffin and other coaches were telling players not to go class if they were EE as there is a gray area of whether being enrolled or attending class makes you officially in and subject to transfer rules.

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