Former U.S. Marine and freshman at Middle Tennessee State Steven Rhodes will be allowed to play immediately per a Monday ruling by the NCAA, ESPN reports:
The NCAA ruled Monday that freshman Steven Rhodes can "play immediately" after serving five years in the Marines.
"Additionally," NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs Kevin Lennon said in a release, "he will maintain all four years of his eligibility."
Rhodes played in a recreational league during his military service that could have made him ineligible. An NCAA rule states that student-athletes who don't enroll in college within a year of graduating high school will be charged one year of eligibility for every academic year they participate in organized competition.
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Daryl Simpson, MTSU's assistant athletic director/compliance, said he doesn't believe the NCAA ever intended to penalize military service members.
"All this is strictly because of how the bylaw is worded," Simpson told The Daily News Journal. "In my opinion, there is no intent of anyone to not allow protection to our U.S. service members."
The Blue Raiders open the season Aug. 29 by hosting Western Carolina.