Illinois Fighting Illini Football: Luke Ford denial harder to swallow

It’s been a couple of weeks since the NCAA decided to drop the hammer on the Illinois Fightin’ Illini Football transfer, Luke Ford. Their recent choice to tweak the transfer rules makes everything all the more sickening.

Quick overview: The Illinois Fightin’ Illini Football team and Lovie Smith had been doing better than usual this offseason. Even with the crazy (or hilarious) whiffs of Jeff Thomas and A.D. Miller, they snagged a few transfers that should bolster their ranks. One of the more notable additions came in the form of top 2018 tight end recruit Luke Ford.

A Carterville, Illinois native, Ford actually committed to the University of Georgia last but decided that he wanted to return home. The idea being he wanted to be closer to his ailing grandparents.

But due to the asinine reasoning that his grandfather is not part of his “nuclear family”, he was denied instant eligibility. The NCAA originally made their ruling that Champaign, Illinois is not located within 100 miles of Carterville (that would be a shade under 200).

Sadly, it’s not the first time the NCAA has denied instant eligibility based on proximity of hometown and university this spring. It’s also beyond ridiculous how such a rule even exists.

This is all old news, but now a recent development just makes me angry about the entire situation.

The fact that the NCAA for once seemed to just let guys transfer all willy nilly left and right seemed very “un-NCAA-like”. Usually, they’re the ones that are extremely tone-deaf and do the exact opposite of what everyone wants. The organization tends to stick to their rules and enforces them with an iron will. So maybe this was a turning point?

Sike! Reality settled in and the fun and games came to a crashing halt:

The TL;DR of this newer development is that players just won’t be able to get by for the more questionable or weaker reasons. Obtaining instant eligibility will require “documented extenuating, extraordinary and mitigating circumstances outside of the student-athletes control that directly impacts the health, safety or well-being of the student-athlete.”

Apparently, Ford’s mental health isn’t a major priority to the NCAA, as they won’t respect his wishes to be closer to family.

But when five-star players like Justin Fields and Tate Martell transfer for totally bogus reasons and are awarded instant eligibility because they weren’t going to be starting at Georgia and Ohio State, respectively, it’s fine.

(There may or may not be a money-making element that the Association is cashing in on with studs like them to CFP contenders).

That’s the bitter pill to swallow in all of this; the NCAA is rewarding players who weren’t deserving of instant eligibility and destroyed the little guy who was extremely deserving. To his credit, Ford has remained focused:

Perhaps this experience makes Ford a hungrier, dedicated, and more driven individual. Something that could make him a better player on and off the field.

Sports can be exciting, fun, hectic, and addicting. They can also be unfair, heart-breaking, and defeating.

In the disappointing case of Luke Ford v. the NCAA, it’s clearly the latter.