[PalmTree]

And this is my biggest issue right now - the 24+ yr old freshman. you see it regularly in men’s soccer with guys who realized their overseas pro career was dead. Paying players isn’t stopping now. Foreign players also isn’t going away. But can we at least stop the 26 year old freshman?

I'd also agree with an age limit for incoming frosh, regardless of the nationality - so something that would accomodate kids of the Mormon faith as well as foreign nationals. It seems to me that for Mormon athletes, allowing a max of 2 years for missions out of hs is reasonable - meaning an upper age limit along the lines of ~20 yo for frosh would suffice.  For that matter, I'd even be OK with implementing an upper age limit - a flat 4 years above the frosh age limit, no exceptions - for any kind of intercollegiate participation.  These types of age limits would also potentially help level the playing field in terms of levels of physical development of participanting athletes, thereby helping prevent injuries.

[PalmTree]

And this is my biggest issue right now - the 24+ yr old freshman. you see it regularly in men’s soccer with guys who realized their overseas pro career was dead. Paying players isn’t stopping now. Foreign players also isn’t going away. But can we at least stop the 26 year old freshman?

I'd also agree with an age limit for incoming frosh, regardless of the nationality - so something that would accomodate kids of the Mormon faith as well as foreign nationals. It seems to me that for Mormon athletes, allowing a max of 2 years for missions out of hs is reasonable - meaning an upper age limit along the lines of ~20 yo for frosh would suffice.  For that matter, I'd even be OK with implementing an upper age limit - a flat 4 years above the frosh age limit, no exceptions - for any kind of intercollegiate participation.  These types of age limits would also potentially help level the playing field in terms of levels of physical development of participanting athletes, thereby helping prevent injuries.