Ok folks...as I posted on
my twitter feed earlier today, #1 Yale
might be in some hot water with the NCAA that could jeopardize their entire season.
Here is what I know so far:
As a junior,
Chris Cahill was kicked out of Yale after the 2008-2009 academic year for violating the school's academic policies and was subsequently dismissed from the hockey program. At 22, he was too old to play on any junior teams and instead took a year off from college and moved to France to play hockey. This year, he returned to Yale to finish his degree and play out his NCAA eligibility with the Bulldogs.
Here's where things get sticky. The league he played in in France is the second tier league and like most in Europe includes several levels of junior teams, but the highest junior team is U22, which means he played for the main club because he was too old for any of the junior teams. Whether he was compensated for the 18 games he played there, is not exactly the issue though. While compensation automatically negates your NCAA eligibility, the rule that is being scrutinized is the "playing with or against professionals". It is the same rule that keeps players from the OHL, QMJHL and WHL from playing for NCAA teams after they exhaust their junior eligibility. There is no question that this rule was violated as most players in the top tier of the French Ice Hockey Federation (FFHG) have signed contracts to play, are compensated and are therefore considered professionals. (I'm working on getting some hard numbers as to just how much money players in this league make. UPDATE: I am told that players in this league can make anywhere from $12,000-$20,000 a year.)
Back in September, when Cahill was reinstated at Yale, his situation was discussed among the Ivy League members and they felt it was a low enough league in Europe that it wouldn't violate NCAA rules. The problem is...they never actually checked with the NCAA or even the ECAC.
Recently, an anonymous letter was sent out to all of the head coaches and athletic directors of the ECAC (of which Yale is a member) notifying them of the situation and urging them to investigate further.
Last night, Yale played Dartmouth (the Bulldogs won 2-1), but Cahill who has played every game thus far this season (13gms with 8g & 9a) was scratched with the flu. If there should be quotations around that, I'm not sure, but it does raise suspicion. (UPDATE: He is in the lineup tonight against Harvard.)
So what does this mean?? It could mean nothing since the NCAA does allow for exceptions to their eligibility rules (see below) but it could mean everything including Yale having to forfeit the season.
If there are violations of NCAA amateurism rules, the NCAA Eligibility Center may certify you with conditions, which must be fulfilled before you are eligible for competition. The conditions will be set based on which rule was violated and the severity of the violation. Such conditions may include repayment of money or sitting out of competition for a specified number of games, or both. In some cases, the NCAA Eligibility Center may determine that the violations are such that permanent ineligibility for competition is the appropriate penalty.
-- NCAA.org
I will update if I find out further information for you.
The bottom line is Chris Cahill knowingly played with and against what can be considered by the NCAA as professional hockey players, which would make him ineligible for NCAA participation. If there was even a hint of doubt regarding his eligibility, they should have asked the NCAA for clarification and/or a possible exemption and all of this nonsense could have been avoided.
If the NCAA determines that Cahill was ineligible, I can only hope that Yale's season can be saved. They are a tremendous team that has a chance to win a national title and I'd hate to see that possibility erased because someone didn't place a call to the NCAA just to double check.
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