Tag: eligibility

NCAA clears international transfer to play for Florida basketball

Slovenian guard Urban Klavzar came to Florida to play basketball. Despite a small delay, the NCAA has cleared him for action, and he will see the court Friday.

About an hour before Todd Golden spoke with the media on Thursday, his staff learned that the NCAA cleared Slovenian international transfer guard [autotag]Urban Klavzar[/autotag] to play this season for the Florida Gators men’s basketball team.

Kalvzar’s eligibility status remained up in the air through the first three games of the 2024-25 season as the deciding body worked through his “unique” case. Ultimately, the NCAA decided that Klavzar’s time with a second-level professional team in Spain did not meet the criteria to rule him ineligible. He will begin his college career as a sophomore with three years of eligibility.

Golden plans to get Klavzar on the court immediately, saying he will see the court on Friday night against Florida State. With Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard all locked into the starting lineup, Klavzar will come off the bench for most of the season. Adding him to the rotation should benefit Florida’s pick-and-roll game and give the Gators another three-point shooter.

“He’ll play tomorrow night, for sure,” Golden said on Thursday. “And it’s going to take some time for him to kind of become acclimated and integrate him in with the other guys. Obviously, we’ve played three games and we have a good flow going, but he’s a high-level player and he’s a guy that we have counted on being a part of this rotation, since the summertime, since he came to Florida.”

Golden likened the situation to what the team went through with Zyon Pullin a year ago. Pullin was suspended the first three games of the season after participating in pro workouts ahead of the NBA draft process. In the end, Pullin earned All-SEC First Team honors from the coaches. The Gators are hoping this move works out the same way.

Florida’s compliance staff worked diligently to get Klavzar cleared, according to Golden. He named Senior Associate Athletics Director Jamie McCloskey and Associate Athletics Director Kim Green as key players in the process, while also thanking the SEC and NCAA for “doing what was right.”

“I think anybody that’s kind of studied this year’s class of freshmen from Europe realize that there was a lot of guys that had this unique circumstance,” he said. “So, I’m not necessarily surprised it took a little longer.”

Klavzar’s experience will help him integrate with the team quickly. He’s played in big-time environments and has seen the court at some of the highest levels on the international scene.

“The great thing about Urby, he’s not going to be your your normal freshman,” Golden said. “He’s not a guy that’s coming out of the high school ranks, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed going into Florida State. … I think he will be ready to help us right away.”

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NFL cracking down on prospects skipping all-star games after accepting invites

The NFL is cracking down on draft prospects skipping all-star games after accepting invites

The NFL is hoping to end one of the more unsavory practices of the annual draft season. In a recent memo sent to agents well ahead of the end of the college season, the NFL made it clear that players ducking out of all-star games after committing to them is no longer acceptable.

It’s been a growing problem for all-star games like the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl, one that annoys the NFL teams in attendance as well as fans and media hoping to see players perform. As part of a larger memo, the league addressed the issue,

“Barring an injury, no prospect can be invited to an all-star game with an agreed upon intention that the prospect will not participate in activities. All invited prospects are expected to fully participate in both practice and game activities.”

Hopefully the memo hits home and the new rule is vigilantly enforced.

Freshman G Urban Klavzar unavailable for Gators hoops opener

Florida men’s basketball is still waiting for the NCAA to determine international signee Urban Klavzar’s eligibility status as the 2024-25 season begins.

Florida men’s basketball will start the season without 20-year-old freshman [autotag]Urban Klavzar[/autotag], according to Swamp247.

Klavzar’s eligibility remains in question, and third-year Gators head coach Todd Golden addressed the hold-up last week.

“We’re working on it on a day-to-day basis and hoping for good news soon but nothing definitive,” Golden said. “We can’t play him yet but, again, my hope is that we’ll hear something in the next however-many-days until Monday with some good news. Listen, the guy deserves to play college basketball. That’s just how I feel.”

Although the specifics of the issue remain unknown, but Jacob Rudner of 247Sports notes that it could be linked to Klavzar’s time in the second division of the Spanish basketball league system.

NCAA rules say that players forfeit eligibility if they “have ever taken pay, or the promise of pay, for competing in that sport.”

Klavzar’s professional history was public when Florida added him to the roster as an international signee, and the program remains optimistic that he will be declared eligible for at least part of the season.

“He’s getting straight As right now here at Florida,” said Golden, “and I understand a lot of the rules and legislation that’s in place and the reason why it is but this guy deserves to play college athletics.

“There’s no benefit with him not being able to play for Florida. It’s not a disadvantage to somebody else. He’s done all the academic work to be admitted into a place like Florida and now I think he deserves the right to play.”

Klavzar is a pick-and-roll scorer who can shoot near 40% from three-point range and attack the basket. There are questions about his game translating from Euro ball to the SEC, which points to Golden’s argument of him deserving an opportunity to prove himself at this level.

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PGA Tour shares potential changes to field sizes, eligibility, pace of play detailed in memo to players

The Tour’s Policy Board is scheduled to meet ahead of the RSM Classic on Nov. 18.

The PGA Tour shared with its players a letter on Tuesday morning detailing a range of eligibility proposals that will be voted on in November by the Board of Directors and would impact field sizes and number of Tour cards beginning in 2026.

Golfweek was first to report that these changes were in the works in June. The proposal, a copy of which Golfweek has obtained, indicates that maximum field size for a one-course full-field event would be 144 players, down from 156; change exempt status from top 125 to top 100 in the FedEx Cup and add a conditional category for finishers 101-125; reduce the number of Tour cards being given to Korn Ferry Tour grads while maintaining the number of grads from the DP World Tour and capping the number of Q-School grads at 5; reduce or eliminate the number of open qualifying positions at regular season events with fewer than 144 players.The FedEx Cup points distribution table will be massaged and restricted sponsor exemptions will be reallocated to the next eligible members on the priority ranking.

Full-field events played prior to daylight saving time generally would have a field size of 120 players. Full-field events played after daylight saving time goes into effect up until the Masters would have a field size of 132 players.

Field sizes for special events, such as those played on multiple courses and invitationals, are dependent on circumstances such as format and eligibility.

It has become a growing concern that field sizes of 144 and 156 are causing too many occurrences of failing to make a cut on Friday, and shortening fields should rectify that but it also removes playing opportunities for the membership.

Changes to its priority ranking

The Tour also is proposing changes to its priority ranking for membership. Tournament winners remain at the top of the food chain, but the biggest change is breaking up the top 125 finishers into several sub-categories with the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings through the Tour Championship being next in importance, followed by finishers 71-100 in FedEx Cup through the fall portion of the schedule. The leading 10 finishers, not otherwise exempt, in the Race to Dubai Ranking are ahead of a slimmed-down number of the Korn Ferry Tour grads, which has been reduced from 30 presently to 20.

Finishers 101-110 in the FedEx Cup through the fall are several more rungs below and there are three exemption categories, including major medical extensions, ahead of Nos. 111-125 on the FedEx Cup.

Some qualifers would be eliminated

Monday qualifiers would no longer be held at the Sony Open, WM Phoenix Open, Mexico Open at Vidanta, Cognizant Classic, Puerto Rico Open, Corales Puntacana Championship and Myrtle Beach Championship, and the qualifiers at the Valspar Championship, Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open would be reduced from fours spots to two spots available.

The Tour also is proposing to adjust the FedEx Cup points distribution table with a slight increase to second-place points for majors and the Players and a slight decrease to points in positions 11 and beyond and a slight decrease to Signature event points in positions seven and beyond. Alongside these changes, the Tour also proposed adjustments to the Players Championship, reducing the field from 144 to 120 players, and tweaks to exempt categories for the Charles Schwab Invitational and Genesis Invitational.

Pace of play, fines

Additional discussion items at the Board meeting include pace of play and adjustments that could in some cases reduce fines and in others will double them from $5,000 to $10,000. The Rules Committee “feels that there needs to be an additional policy to provide an immediate incentive for the very slowest players to play more quickly,” and have proposed an “Excessive Average Stroke Time” penalty. At the conclusion of a tournament, if a player has an average stroke time of 12 seconds or more above the field average and played in all four rounds, an Excessive Average Stroke Time infraction would be received. There would be no fine associated with the first two excessive violations, but the third infraction would result in a fine of $5,000 and subsequent offenses would be an additional $10,000 per infraction.

The Tour’s Policy Board is scheduled to meet ahead of the RSM Classic on Nov. 18.

Drew Brees selected for New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame

Drew Brees has been selected for the New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame. It’s the easiest decision the voters have ever had in front of them:

Drew Brees was officially selected for the New Orleans Saints’ team Hall of Fame on Thursday, in what was likely the easiest decision the voters have ever had in front of them. Brees elevated the Saints to a national brand during his 15-year run as their starting quarterback, winning every major passing record at some point during his tenure. He was also named Most Valuable Player in the Saints’ Super Bowl XLIV victory.

Brees and his family returned to the team’s Ochsner Sports Performance Center for a press conference in his honor, which was attended by former teammates and staffers he knew well during his Saints career.

“This is a tremendous honor,” Brees spoke slowly in his opening statement, choking up with emotion. “And I am so grateful to everybody here, and forever will be. Once a Saint, always a Saint. I will be living and dying with the team every Sunday as most of you will as well.”

It remains to be seen which game will honor Brees for enshrinement to the team’s Hall of Fame, so we’ll keep you posted. Whenever that is, we’re guessing it’ll include a packed house. Brees isn’t eligible for enshrinement to the Pro Football Hall of Fame until 2026, but he’s a safe bet to get in as soon as the rules allow it.

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Demario Davis approaching rare territory with fifth straight All-Pro nod

Demario Davis is approaching rare territory with his fifth straight All-Pro nod. He’s joined a small group of Saints players who went on to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:

Just five players in New Orleans Saints history have earned five placements on the All-Pro teams from the Associated Press, and now Demario Davis is one of them. The veteran linebacker was recognized as an All-Pro for the fifth year in a row on Friday, his fourth appearance on the second team. He started this run by making the cut for the All-Pro first team back in 2019.

And of the other four Saints players to achieve this distinction, two are already in the Pro Football Hall of Fame: outside linebacker Rickey Jackson and left tackle Willie Roaf. A third, right guard Jahri Evans, is a finalist in this year’s class and is waiting for word on whether or not he’ll be chosen for induction in just a few weeks. The remaining member of this group, all-time great quarterback Drew Brees, is expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer once he’s eligible in 2026.

Here’s how they compare in All-Pro appearances while with the Saints:

  • Rickey Jackson: Five years on the second team
  • Willie Roaf: Two years on the first team, three on the second team
  • Jahri Evans: Four years on the first team, once on the second team
  • Drew Brees: One year on the first team, four on the second team
  • Demario Davis: One year on the first team, four on the second team

Does this mean Davis is on his way to the Hall of Fame as well? Maybe so, maybe not. It’s tough to say. Jackson and Roaf each accomplished more with other teams, whether that’s earning Pro Bowl recognition, more All-Pro attention, or having won a Super Bowl. Davis doesn’t have the same number of Pro Bowls and first-team All-Pro awards (that distinction between the first and second teams matters), though his longevity is impressive. And there are other considerations like records set, stats met, and titles won.

Still, Davis is securely one of the greatest players in franchise history. He’s the best free agent signing the team has ever made — after Brees, of course. It’s a shame that popularity contests like the Pro Bowl factor in so heavily to Hall of Fame resumes, but that doesn’t diminish what Davis has achieved with the Saints in recent years while leading one of the league’s best defenses. Whether he’s bound for the Hall of Fame someday or not, the Saints are very fortunate to have him.

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Miami tight end to petition for ninth year of eligibility

After four missed seasons due to multiple injuries, Miami TE Cam McCormick seeks eligibility for a ninth NCAA season in 2024.

Miami tight end Cam McCormick will petition for a ninth season of NCAA eligibility, per the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Adam Lichtenstein.

McCormick, 25, began his career as an Oregon Duck in 2016 when he took a redshirt as a freshman. He sustained a broken fibula and a tear of the deltoid ligament in his ankle in the first game of the 2018 season, and the injury’s complications and further surgeries forced him to miss the entire 2019 and 2020 seasons because of injuries.

He finally returned for the 2021 season, when he played two games before he suffered another injury, a torn Achilles which again ended his season.

He transferred to Miami for the 2023 season. McCormick said the Pac-12 accepted his petition for a ninth season, but he’ll need to start the process over again now that he’s in the ACC.

McCormick didn’t specify for sure whether he’d take the season if available but said he did want the option.

The tight end caught 18 passes for 169 yards and four touchdowns with the Ducks. He has two receptions for 28 yards thus far in Miami.

Former Saints Pro Bowl center Max Unger nominated for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Former Saints Pro Bowl center Max Unger has been nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility:

The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its list of 173 modern-era nominees for its 2024 class on Tuesday, and one former New Orleans Saints player was brought up as a first-time honoree in his first year of eligibility: Max Unger.

Unger, 37, retired on his own terms after the 2018 season having accomplished a lot in the NFL. Before joining the Saints in the landmark 2015 Jimmy Graham trade, Unger earned All-Pro recognition and two Pro Bowl trips with the Seattle Seahawks — with whom he also won a Super Bowl ring. He played at a high level in New Orleans and was selected for a third Pro Bowl appearance in 2018, his last year in the league before choosing to hang up his cleats.

So does he have a real chance at earning a bronze bust in Canton? Unger is a long shot. Just seven centers have been inducted to the Hall of Fame, and Pro Football Reference research found on average they’ve logged five All-Pro teams and eight Pro Bowl appearances. That’s a very high bar which Unger doesn’t quite meet.

He isn’t the only former Saints player on this year’s list of nominees, though. Unger’s old teammate Jahri Evans is returning for another shot after he reached the semifinalist stage last season. With Drew Brees eligible for Hall of Fame induction in 2026, there’s a good chance one of his former blockers will be waiting for him in Canton.

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Alabama Football Student Athletes of the Week

Alabama Football recognizes their Student-Athletes of the Week with some expected key contributors making it!

In the modern day of Name, Image, Likeness licensing deals, and big-time college football stars, we often lose sight of what really matters when it comes to college athletics. To win on the field you must win in the classroom first, and Alabama head football coach [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] has always preached the importance of getting an education and a degree.

Whether fans admire or despise Saban, they must admit his commitment to his players is admirable. Whether it’s a walk-on player or a star who declares for the NFL draft before his eligibility is up, Saban will preach the importance of a degree until he is blue in the face. No matter who it is, there is life after football and he wants his players to be the most well-developed man, father, and husband they can be.

This week, Alabama football recognized James Smith, Malik Benson and Jam Miller as the Student-Athletes of the Week. For me, Benson is a guy who I think has all of the talent in the world and the ability to change the offense, so to see him succeeding academically should be a very encouraging sign for Tide fans.

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Florida guard Myreon Jones set to return for extra year

First Colin Castleton announced his return to Florida basketball and now Myreon Jones has done the same.

On Monday, [autotag]Todd Golden[/autotag] received the good news that [autotag]Colin Castleton[/autotag] would be exercising his extra year of eligibility to return to Florida for another season. Six days later, [autotag]Myreon Jones[/autotag] followed in his footsteps and decided to return for a super-senior season, according to a report from Jon Rothstein.

Jones’ return gives the Gators a veteran ball-handler in the backcourt to pair with rising sophomore [autotag]Kowacie Reeves[/autotag] and Belmont transfer [autotag]Will Richard[/autotag]. There’s also sophomore [autotag]Elijah Kennedy[/autotag] and incoming freshman [autotag]Denzel Aberdeen[/autotag] to consider in the backcourt rotation.

The thought was that Florida would need to grab a point guard from the portal after [autotag]Tyree Appleby[/autotag] announced his decision to transfer, but Jones fills that spot in nicely. Golden can still go after someone he likes in the portal with three open roster spots, though.

Jones transferred from Penn State in 2021 and averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game with the Gators as a senior. He was very streaky over the season and finished with the season shooting 35.5%. Most of Jones’ shots came from beyond the arc, which made for some exciting offense at times. His best performance came against Georgia when he made seven three-pointers en route to 23 overall.

If Jones can find some consistency, he can be a valuable piece of this Gators team. Golden’s usage of him could help Jones improve his stats and allow the younger guards to grow as the seasons unfolds.

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