It wasn’t long ago that Oregon Duck fans got some bad news about former All-Conference center N’Faly Dante, who had applied for an extra year of eligibility with the NCAA but had his request denied.
Then this week, after appealing the ruling, Dante once again had his appeal denied, officially ending his college career with the Oregon Ducks in an unceremonial fashion.
Oregon fans have been upset about this, but it seems that there is no person more publicly upset that ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who has been claiming all along that Dante should be given another year of eligibility if the NCAA is staying true to the message that they have always pushed.
What an embarrassing decision for the NCAA. Dante is everything the NCAA says it wants. Student Athlete welfare…nonsense. https://t.co/Wt8RXHBSk0
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) June 14, 2024
Dante was looking for an injury hardship waiver since he played in just 12 games in 2019-20 and only six more in 2020-21. Oregon was hopeful since similar cases around the country were upheld, but Dante wasn’t as fortunate.
Ultimately, Bilas’ words won’t be able to change anything, but it is nice for Duck fans to know that he has their back, and they have every right to be frustrated at the ultimate decision.
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