He will definitely get a medical. That is a no brainer for this year. He easily meets the participation criteria for this and documentation is no issue as he is getting surgery (not that it would have been anyway).
What will let him compete for his fourth year is being granted a 6th (or 7th - that has been granted before, although I don't think in wrestling) year of eligibility. This is done by committee review and criteria is basically missing two or more years due to hardship under circumstances beyond the athletes control. The italicized is the critical factor. Here are some examples:
Circumstances considered beyond the control of the student-athlete include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Situations clearly supported by contemporaneous medical documentation, which states that a student-athlete is unable to participate in intercollegiate competition as a result of incapacitating physical or mental circumstances;
2. The student-athlete is unable to participate in intercollegiate athletics as a result of a life-threatening or incapacitating injury or illness suffered by a member of the student-athlete’s immediate family, which clearly is supported by contemporaneous medical documentation;
3. Reliance by the student-athlete upon written, contemporaneous, clearly erroneous academic advice provided to the student-athlete from a specific academic authority from a collegiate institution regarding the academic status of the student-athlete or prospective student-athlete, which directly leads to that individual not being eligible to participate and, but for the clearly erroneous advice, the student-athlete would have established eligibility for intercollegiate competition;
4. Natural disasters (e.g., flood, earthquake); and
5. Extreme financial difficulties as a result of a specific event (e.g., layoff, death in the family) experienced by the student-athlete or by an individual upon whom the student-athlete is legally dependent, which prohibit the student-athlete from participating in intercollegiate athletics. These circumstances must be clearly supported by objective documentation and must be beyond the control of the student-athlete or the individual upon whom the student-athlete is legally dependent.
Unfortunately, redshirt is specifically identified as not qualifying under this criteria. Again, some examples:
Circumstances considered to be within the control of the student-athlete or the institution include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. A student-athlete’s decision to attend an institution that does not sponsor his/her sport, or decides not to participate at the institution that does sponsor his/her sport;
2. An inability to participate due to failure to meet institutional/conference or NCAA academic requirements, or disciplinary reasons or incarceration culminating in or resulting from a conviction;
3. Reliance by a student-athlete upon misinformation from a coaching staff member;
4. Redshirt year;
5. An inability to participate as a result of a transfer year in residence or fulfilling a condition for restoration of eligibility; and
6. A student-athlete’s lack of understanding regarding the specific starting date of his/her five-year period of eligibility.
Fortunately, the committee is not bound by the above and is free to consider cases on an individual basis (12.8.1.5.1 ...The Committee on Student-Athlete
Reinstatement reserves the right to review requests that do not meet the more-than-one-year criteria detailed) .But above is basically their guidelines. Recently, it seems that the committee is a bit more lax in granting the sixth year, but Kemerer will still have to make an argument for circumstances beyond his control for his first year. Likewise, PSU is in the same boat with Cassar, specifically, not being enrolled is not a hardship outside of his control and he is likely going to have to provide documentation of an incapacitating injury.
So, slam dunk it is not. But I wouldn't consider it unlikely at this point. Honestly, who knows what the deal will be two years from now anyway? It certainly won't be more restrictive.
You can take this back to the HR if you like and educate some of the uneducated HR stalwarts who like to spout with authority. (Sorry, don't really want you to, but had to throw in an HR jab just for you).
And hoping for a speedy recovery for Mike as he is far and away my favorite Hawk and a great representative of PA. Hopefully we will see him in 2020 and 2021.
I should be back in a matter of weeks. I can't imagine a year of rehab/physical therapy for an ACL/MCL. My heart goes out to anyone that has had to endure that mess. If Iowa loses to Pitt tonight in basketball I may just bury my head in the snow for a bit..
