[Farm93]

ESPN did a story on this practice in 2010 that suggest it's very widespread in the SEC. I believe the story is still kicking around on YouTube or one of those sites if you want to look for it. It used to the story of a kid downsized by LSU late in the summer, when it was too late to find another school with a scholarship open, as its framework.

The SEC has it covered on all aspects of this scholarship game.  Many SEC schools routinely accept 30+ commits each year.  It is a yield game.  Many of the commits are flirting with the NCAA minimums, so the schools want to get more than 25 banking on the idea that several will be lost.  The problem is that sometimes more than 25 meet the minimums.  Forcing some to JC or FCS programs when they could have gone to any number of other top programs.

Then 25 per year *4 years = 100.  100>85.  It is not that hard to see that schools that routinely welcome 25 players each year need to get some to leave early.  Some will jump, or try to jump, to the NFL.  Some will have medical issues.  Others will want to transfer, quit etc.  But if all of that is not enough the schools throughout the SEC have rich histories of bumping the weakest players.  This is why many want the NCAA to force 4 year scholarship offers.  The coaches can leave at a moments notice, but the players are stuck and are penalized if they try to leave early.  And despite that the schools can ruthlessly terminate support after any given year.

Shaw addressed this idea recently by saying that Stanford has not done that so an NCAA rule on 4-year requirements would not really impact Stanford.

At a minimum every school that wants to cut players from the team should be required to remove then from the roster permanently, but still provide an option for financial support academically.  That sounds nice, I guess, but I am sure many probably don't really want a degree from Alabama or LSU even if they could catch-up and complete the academic program in 4 years.  But that should be offered, at a minimum.  IMHO

[Farm93]

ESPN did a story on this practice in 2010 that suggest it's very widespread in the SEC. I believe the story is still kicking around on YouTube or one of those sites if you want to look for it. It used to the story of a kid downsized by LSU late in the summer, when it was too late to find another school with a scholarship open, as its framework.

The SEC has it covered on all aspects of this scholarship game.  Many SEC schools routinely accept 30+ commits each year.  It is a yield game.  Many of the commits are flirting with the NCAA minimums, so the schools want to get more than 25 banking on the idea that several will be lost.  The problem is that sometimes more than 25 meet the minimums.  Forcing some to JC or FCS programs when they could have gone to any number of other top programs.

Then 25 per year *4 years = 100.  100>85.  It is not that hard to see that schools that routinely welcome 25 players each year need to get some to leave early.  Some will jump, or try to jump, to the NFL.  Some will have medical issues.  Others will want to transfer, quit etc.  But if all of that is not enough the schools throughout the SEC have rich histories of bumping the weakest players.  This is why many want the NCAA to force 4 year scholarship offers.  The coaches can leave at a moments notice, but the players are stuck and are penalized if they try to leave early.  And despite that the schools can ruthlessly terminate support after any given year.

Shaw addressed this idea recently by saying that Stanford has not done that so an NCAA rule on 4-year requirements would not really impact Stanford.

At a minimum every school that wants to cut players from the team should be required to remove then from the roster permanently, but still provide an option for financial support academically.  That sounds nice, I guess, but I am sure many probably don't really want a degree from Alabama or LSU even if they could catch-up and complete the academic program in 4 years.  But that should be offered, at a minimum.  IMHO