>How long have the rules about families "adopting" players been on the
>books?  Was there ever a time when that was an accepted and legal practice?
>
================Reply=================
Hi, Nathan!
Used to be universally accepted practice for all players. Over the past few
years, at least at UAF, it was limited to foreign (ie, generally Canadian)
players. Beginning last year, the NCAA, in its befuddled wisdom, said that
it was OK to have host families for foreign athletes only if the same
practice were followed universally for ALL foreign students.  When the
expected rush of Fairbanks families eager to adopt non-English speaking
Chinese physics majors failed to appear, the program needed to be killed
off.
 
Too bad, too, as a number of Canadian Nanooks have commented on the
homesickness they've felt, and the importance of their host families in
making them feel welcome, and the big part that the host family program
played in letting them achieve their degrees. Just another example of the
way the NCAA has dedicated itself to the concept of the student athlete, I
guess.
--jeff
 
--Jeff Partnow ([log in to unmask])
UAF-- Maybe not the best, but we're still playing!
 
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