Jeremy Pruitt offers the latest on Cade Mays' waiver to play immediately: 'It's kinda time to make a decision'
Tennessee finally got the news it was hoping for last week when the NCAA granted offensive lineman Cade Mays his eligibility to play immediately this season for the Vols, but that didn’t mean the Knoxville native was completely cleared to see the field in Saturday’s game against South Carolina.
No, in order for Mays to be eligible this season, Tennessee still needs a waiver from the SEC due to the fact the offensive lineman is an undergraduate transfer and left one SEC program (Georgia) for another this offseason.
Is there any reason Mays shouldn’t get that waiver from the SEC?
Here is what Jeremy Pruitt had to say when asked that question during his most recent appearance on Knoxville-based WNML radio show “The Nation” on Sunday evening.
“No. I’m kinda curious… I haven’t heard anything from the SEC,” Pruitt said on the show. “Coach Fulmer actually talked to Greg (Sankey) and I was going to follow up this evening. It’s kinda time to make a decision on what we gonna do here. I don’t know if they’re going to do case-by-case, or if they’re going to just wholesale say everybody’s eligible but it would be a shame to not let these guys play football. You can see all over the country how the Big Ten’s now playing.
“Every week, you just don’t know what’s going to happen. There may be teams that have to cancel games because they don’t have enough players so why would we not let guys play that want to play?”
Game week is finally here and yet Mays and Tennessee continue to wait to get the green light to play the lineman. As Pruitt said, time is running out to make a decision in Birmingham.
Sankey is turning into Mark Emmert a little bit more each day.
It’s crazy to make ANY kid sit in a year where no player loses eligibility.
Let them play Greg.
The NCAA has painted themselves the fools because of the how their decisions about transfers seem arbitrary at best. As for the SEC’s decision, how long has this transfer policy been in place? If memory serves me correctly, the SEC instituted their “sit out one year” mandate within the last few years. If that is the case and they haven’t granted any immediate eligibility waivers to any other players, then they shouldn’t grant one here. Mays should have known this possibility existed before he decided to transfer.
Knowing a policy exists and expecting it to be enforced are two very different things, especially with all the transfers granted and not granted with no rhyme or reason to the decisions many times. Has the sec ever deemed a player ineligible after the ncaa cleared him. legit question. I dont know. I find it hard to believe they wont clear him but not much should surprise anyone this season.
I suppose the SEC is trying to get the wording correct. For undergraduates to transfer from inside the conference may need some explaining. Not sure they want to send that message to other players in the future. Blame it on COVID and call it special circumstances due to an ongoing pandemic. Works everywhere else.
It’s interesting how many people protest in-conference transfers, then claim to love the kids so much. They’re not paid-let them transfer at the end of each and every season. All non-sport scholarships permit this. In before I get the standard-respect muh contract argument, are working folks prevented from leaving their employment? How many of us will and have left for greener pastures? If you haven’t-enjoy being on the low side of the pay spectrum for your career.
They are if they have a non-compete clause…which is essentially what an SEC scholarship is. The Kids no this going in.
Non-competes are notoriously difficult to enforce, particularly when the employees talent and skill levels are common. Are students employees? Are they paid a wage or salary or being gifted educational expense?
Pruitt is kinda’ curious, and he thinks it’s kinda’ time. Sorta. Anyway, why not? Know what I mean?
I am sure they ARE trying to come up with the wording. “Let’s see, he was denied by the NCAA, then approved, but has no reason whatsoever of being granted a waiver. He is not a graduate and is transferring within not only the SEC, but the same division. That is something we have never allowed before. What the hell are we going to say to justify this? And next season, everytime one of these spoiled players wants to go from Alabama to Georgia or Georgia to LSU, because they got their feelings hurt. do we now have to allow it?”
Yesh, it’s simple, just let the kids play. I just want to be there when Pruitt explains to the guy who has busting his ass in the program for two years, “hey, this guy who turned his back on the team when I became coach is taking your place.”
Why shouldn’t players have the ability to earn scholarships at different schools each year? We, as fans, care most about the welfare of the student-athlete, do we not? Odd that my academic scholarships at UT didn’t prevent me from transferring to another SEC school, isn’t it? I guess the people complaining have never left a job for a higher paying one?
Its an SEC rule that was voted on an approved by every SEC school including UT.
I’m addressing the morality-not the rule. It’s clear from the context. Try keeping up and address how it’s moral for you to force students to not transfer schools and that your expectations as a fan should take precedent over their opportunities to learn.
Yeah Roman, we know if Trey Smith wanted to transfer to Florida, these same UT fans would be just fine with him playing immediately.
I wouldn’t be happy, but Trey Smith doesn’t owe me or anyone squat. Why should your fandom preclude his amateur and educational and athletic goals which he’s not compensated a wage or salary for? I guess I believe in a free market capitalist society where individuals freely own their mind and labor. If free transfers at the end of each season meant the entire UT starting roster leaves for other SEC schools, I wouldn’t be happy, but it’s not my place to tell others where they can get an education and play sports.