On Aug 7, 13:20, [log in to unmask] wrote: >I recall hearing on TV during a BYU football game that there is some rule >that allows for a certain period of service which allows their recruits to >go on those mormon missions, yet still come back for four years after >that. Maybe that applies here in some cases. This is a different rule, referring to the length of time you have to use up your four years of eligibility. Unless there have been some changes, a college athlete has five years (from the date of matriculation?) to use up his/her four years of eligibility -- hence, the "redshirts" who burn a year (usually their freshman year) and can still play a full four seasons -- but there are two NCAA- approved circumstances in which the time allotment can be increased to seven years. The first is the situation Nathan mentioned above; students who go on religious "missions" (and as far as I know, Mormon students are the only ones who regularly do so, though the rule is not restricted to them) can increase the five-year clock to seven. And yes, it's been said that this gives BYU the "advantage" of populating their teams with 25-year-old seniors. The other situation in which this rule kicks in, I believe, is military service. -- Disclaimer -- Unless otherwise noted, all opinions expressed above are strictly those of: Bill Fenwick Cornell '86 and '95 LET'S GO RED!! DJF 5/27/94 "They're multi-purpose. Not only do they put the clips on, they also take them off." -- Defense contractor, explaining why his company charged the Pentagon $1,000 for a pair of pliers (from "The 776 Stupidest Things Ever Said") HOCKEY-L is for discussion of college ice hockey; send information to [log in to unmask], The College Hockey Information List.