Jeremy Pruitt weighs in on Cade Mays' situation, says he doesn't know how SEC could stop him from playing
The NCAA recently cleared Tennessee OL Cade Mays to play right away in 2020, but that doesn’t mean the final hurdle has been cleared.
The Vols are still waiting for Mays to get clearance from the SEC, since Mays transferred from one SEC school (Georgia) to another.
On Wednesday, though, coach Jeremy Pruitt said Mays hasn’t had anyone contact him from the SEC, so he doesn’t think the league can stop him from playing:
Jeremy Pruitt comments on NCAA clearing Cade Mays, but still waiting on SEC. #Vols pic.twitter.com/dP0cB9qPu4
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) September 23, 2020
“I guess my question is, I just know about Cade, I know that he’s met with lots of professionals, and it was submitted to the NCAA and they felt like that he needed to play this year,” Pruitt said. “Nobody from the SEC has contacted us to ask to meet with Cade, so based off the decision of the NCAA, I don’t know how they would keep him from playing, unless we just want to say it’s a rule that we voted on.”
It is Wednesday and the Vols’ first game is Saturday night at South Carolina. If the SEC is going to say something one way or the other, it needs to happen soon.
“ unless we just want to say it’s a rule that we voted on.”
That’s exactly what Sankey said today.
It’s strange how 1980U fans are so concerned about ensuring a player who helped them accomplish doesn’t get an opportunity to play. Would it be annoying if Henry T went to UGA next year? Of Course. Would I recognize that he’s an amateur athlete that should have free and clear ownership over his labor in pursuit of an education and potential NFL career? Absolutely. Rather ungrateful that several fans seem to think they’re owed something by student-athletes by virtue of following a team, beyond his years of contributions while under UGA scholarship. He fulfilled his end of the bargain, why can’t 1980U fans get over it? This guy in particular sounds like a needy, jilted ex.
*accomplish so much
The rule might not be fair, but it is still a rule that was established and agreed upon by UT along with the other SEC members. They might change it next spring, they might not. The original reason for it was to prevent coaches from poaching players when they jumped ship. At least this year doesn’t count against their eligibility if they have to sit.
there are rules and there are waivers to the rules. Regardless of all the arguments against the waiver. It happens. Sankey should step up and make his decisions on all the players waiting for his majesty to announce. Dragging it out is dumb. make your decision, whatever it is and we will live with it. Time to let the players, coaches and fans know Mr. Commish. Making tough calls is what great leaders do. Its time.
It wouldn’t count against their eligibility if they got to play either. The ncaa said it’s a free year. Everybody ought to be free. The SEC is being petty here.
Fuzzyvol – the reasons for waivers are clearly called out in the SEC rules. It’s not as liberal as the NCAA waivers are.
Why have rules if you are not going to follow them?
I don’t see the SEC as being petty. This year doesn’t count towards eligibility if they play, but playing this year does count. Besides, he didn’t know about the NCAA decision on eligibility when he transferred. He could have transferred outside of the SEC and this wouldn’t be a discussion.
I actually wouldn’t mind if Baby Mays played.
With his slow feet, Ojulari and Smith would have a field day feasting on Gitmo after blowing past him like he were a screen door in a hurricane.
Slow feet yet he played every position on the Georgia OL line season at one point or another? Man, Georgia must have a crappy OL considering the don’t even have those guys from last season back. If that’s the case, throwing in a new QB, starting RB, and unproven WRs beyond Pickens….good luck!
Bashing amateur athletes is pretty low, particularly when they contributed so much. Pretty petty take from a person that likely doesn’t have much success in life. You can tell who is or isn’t successful by their level of desire to limit others.
Good rule, bad rule, just make the call and be done with it.
If its “just a rule” and there is no decision to be made then why is there even a waiver decision. Why isnt he just not allowed to play period and why would he even have gone through the ncaa clearing process. Why is he waiting for a sankey decision. because the rules can be waived. Its really that simple. So if theres a chance the rule can be waived (so youre saying theres a chance) then its not “just a rule”. Not much in life, or sports is cast in stone.
What’s the criteria for granting a waiver? Is every waiver granted?
i have never seen so much whining over a decision that does not differ from many decisions established as a precedent for a non-QB and undergraduate student. wow
I agree-lots of whining on each and every article by several 1980U fans. It’s odd that none of them can answer why they desire to prevent a former athlete of theirs to not play, after he contributed so much. Nor will they answer why any player should be restricted in owning their labor and educational institution location.
Pretty simple, there is an SEC rule against it. Don’t like the rule, try to change it, don’t just try to break it. I blame the old man for the whole thing.
Because he quit on the team. He wasted 2 yrs of player development the the UGA coaches could have used on a different player. He trash talked the school on his way out the door. Its funny, when Gibbs transfered, Pruitt said he understood the intra conference transfer rule and had no problem with it. Now suddenly he’s all butthurt.
There’s rules at the NCAA level regarding eligibility. Why are you and others so butthurt?
Yet the NCAA adjusted due to a worldwide pandemic. Odd that the SEC doesn’t follow the oversight body and that so many UGA fans feel an athlete owes them even though he filled his seasonal obligations.
UT approved the rule and now they want to change it because it would benefit them. Thats shady.
You keep commenting on this and multiple articles, but say Pruitt is butthurt….
Also, why hold a grudge against Mays and why should your feelings as a fan preclude the labor freedom of amateur athletes? You won’t answer those for some reason-odd.
lol i dont think any of us care about Mays. But every sad fan of the second best football school in Tennessee complain day in and day out about the rules actually being applied to their team. but try again.
This isn’t real complicated. No decision by Sankey means no court battle. Just drag it out until it doesn’t matter anymore is the obvious strategy here.
I personally didn’t really care until “Pops” decided to follow a lawsuit against UGA two and a half years after the incident, in my opinion just to help his son get immediate eligibility. If was such a traumatic event, why did he wait so long?
Referring to Georgia as “1980U” is possibly the dumbest thing I have ever heard. What is the combined score the past 3 seasons? 126-17 ?
Learn to post before critiquing, maybe? Also-nice dodging my point and veering to the ad hominem. Next.
There is no point. The SEC coaches voted and put a rule in place. Why would Mays thing the rule does not apply to him? How about you tell us why Soloman was allowed to play immediately, why Evana Westbrook had to sit out last year and why Mays should be allowed to play. I mean besides you being a homer.
dang and yet has UTjr even made it to ATL since ’98? sad.