Ex-Marine petitions NCAA for eligibility because of playing in rec league

Ok, so an Ex-Marine has petitioned the NCAA to be allowed to play this year because he was ruled ineligible because he participated in a recreational league while enlisted.

http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9579499/marine-appealing-ncaa-rule-preventing-playing-middle-tennessee

Quote :

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A Middle Tennessee freshman who finished five years of active service in the Marines this summer is appealing an NCAA rule preventing him from playing this season because he played in a recreational league in the military.

According to The Daily News Journal, the rule essentially says student-athletes that do not enroll in college within a year of graduating high school will be charged one year of collegiate eligibility for every academic year they participate in organized competition.

By NCAA standards, Steven Rhodes' play at the Marine base counted as "organized competition" because there were game officials, team uniforms and the score was kept.

The NCAA needs to right a wrong and clear former Marine Steven Rhodes to play for Middle Tennessee this season, writes Mark Schlabach. Story

But the 6-foot-3, 240-pound Marine sergeant said the recreational league was nothing close to organized.

"Man, it was like intramurals for us," said the 24-year-old. "There were guys out there anywhere from 18 to 40-something years old. The games were spread out. We once went six weeks between games."

Really? NCAA, really? This guy was freakin' serving our country so you could continue to act elitist. I can't believe that this is an issue. Un-freakin-believable.