Clinger is 26 years old. He is that old guy at the bar still trying to pick up the ladies. How this is allowed in collegiate sports is beyond me.
He's a returned missionary at an LDS school so he's not going to any bars. As for how it's allowed? 2 year mission, 4 years normal eligibility, 1 normal redshirt, 1 covid redshirt.
Im just curious, why is there so much hate for clinger in particular? The guy who beat him for 2nd yesterday is over 2 years older than him. Victor Sh*tsama from OSU is older than him as well so its not like OSU is disadvantaged against BYU guys.
Theres just a lot of hate for BYU in particular and its not even hidden any more
The issue is that a runner could start at age 26 at any other school, but not if they started more than 5 years earlier, because the NCAA requires everyone to complete their 4 years of eligibility in 5 years.... EXCEPT for the Mormons.
The BYU runners can start in NCAA D1 at 17 or 18, and still be competing at 26 or older. No one is allowed to do that at any other school, regardless of the country they come from.
You know mormons can go to other schools other than BYU, right? If missions are so valuable then maybe college coaches should save on international airfare and recruit from the Utah state meet.
What ive heard and seen is that college coaches are scared to take on mormon HS boys who plan to serve missions. Its hard to balance an entire roster AND a few guys in the chamber walking around in foreign countries knocking doors. It makes scholarships and recruiting a nightmare, to say nothing of the intense rebuilding process that is required when they come home.
Just to be clear, Casey Clinger was available to run in college at:
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and now 26.
That's right, this is a 9th year senior.
As for Kipchoge, how there's a loophole that says if you didn't start college at all and just showed up at 28, you were eligible, I do not know. They have got to close that one.
Did you see the video of BYU and OK State exchanging well wishes after the race? It reminds me of those WW2 commemorations where old soldiers from both sides shake hands and then spend time with their children and grandchildren afterwards.
Just to be clear, Casey Clinger was available to run in college at:
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and now 26.
That's right, this is a 9th year senior.
As for Kipchoge, how there's a loophole that says if you didn't start college at all and just showed up at 28, you were eligible, I do not know. They have got to close that one.
... I think youre double counting years 18 and 19, he turned 18 in the fall of his senior year of high school.
So its more like this:
2017: age 19, true freshman year
mission
2021 spring: (2020 xc champs were held in spring of '21) age 22, Covid year
2021 fall: age 23, sophomore year
2022: age 24, junior year
2023: age 25, redshirt year (surgery, NOT competing)
2024: age 26, senior year
so its really 4 years of competition with 5 xc championships, because covid gave us 2 in the year of 2021. Its all available on tfrrs
The issue is that a runner could start at age 26 at any other school, but not if they started more than 5 years earlier, because the NCAA requires everyone to complete their 4 years of eligibility in 5 years.... EXCEPT for the Mormons.
The BYU runners can start in NCAA D1 at 17 or 18, and still be competing at 26 or older. No one is allowed to do that at any other school, regardless of the country they come from.
This really isn't true. Anybody could apply for a similar 2 year religious program thru their own denomination.
In fact. You wouldn't have to do it with a partner, and you could even run while on your mission.
Apparently no one wants to use 2 years of their time on this type of project.
Im just curious, why is there so much hate for clinger in particular? The guy who beat him for 2nd yesterday is over 2 years older than him. Victor Sh*tsama from OSU is older than him as well so its not like OSU is disadvantaged against BYU guys.
Theres just a lot of hate for BYU in particular and its not even hidden any more
I’m not a fan of anyone 25 or older running in the NCAA, but I think Clinger’s situation is particularly egregious because of when he started. According to his BYU profile, he was the WCC Freshman of the Year way back in 2017, yet he’s still competing collegiately 7 years later. That’s crazy. So many other runners have matriculated and graduated since then, but he’s still at it. It may be allowed, but it seems wrong.
Im just curious, why is there so much hate for clinger in particular? The guy who beat him for 2nd yesterday is over 2 years older than him. Victor Sh*tsama from OSU is older than him as well so its not like OSU is disadvantaged against BYU guys.
Theres just a lot of hate for BYU in particular and its not even hidden any more
I’m not a fan of anyone 25 or older running in the NCAA, but I think Clinger’s situation is particularly egregious because of when he started. According to his BYU profile, he was the WCC Freshman of the Year way back in 2017, yet he’s still competing collegiately 7 years later. That’s crazy. So many other runners have matriculated and graduated since then, but he’s still at it. It may be allowed, but it seems wrong.
I agree with this take. It may be technically within the rules, but it isn’t in the spirit of the NCAA developing young athletes. I think a simple solution is to have the NCAA be U23 competition, so that’s it’s all the best 18-22 year olds competing against each other.
That’s not a criticism of Casey Clinger either, he’s a great runner and I’m sure he’ll develop into a good marathoner training with Mantz/Young if he goes that route, but that’s what he should be doing now instead of competing with people almost a decade younger. Same goes for any other 26 or 28 year olds in the NCAA, regardless of the school they run for.
Sure, I'll agree with those takes, maybe after the dust settles and the NCAA crumbles it will turn into a U23 style event and we can put all these age disagreements behind us. Those who serve missions give up a lot to go, perhaps some their only years of eligibility would be the least of those sacrifices.
I was just confused to see so many posts (some earlier in this thread) that bash Casey Clinger with so much anger and rudeness. I tuned in to his interview from yesterday, expecting to see the grumpy, old guy described on this website. Instead I saw a kid who was mainly focused and elated on his team's unlikely victory. Which I found to be remarkable, considering he got his individual runner up title taken from him by someone who is literally older than him, and then HE gets all the online attention for being a 'grandpa'.
Just to be clear, Casey Clinger was available to run in college at:
18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and now 26. That's right, this is a 9th year senior.
As for Kipchoge, how there's a loophole that says if you didn't start college at all and just showed up at 28, you were eligible, I do not know. They have got to close that one.
You're comparing two entirely different situations. The first is favoritism, the second is not, as anyone can and has done that before.
Runners being able to take 2 years for a religious mission is favoritism and not the same thing.
What about people who have to drop out due to being broke and having to work their butts off to survive. I was nearly homeless a few times, managed to gradually work my way up and finally got my Bachelor's degree at age 33, but wasn't allowed to compete after age 23 due to starting at a junior college at barely 18. I didn't even attend an NCAA school until long after that, but wasn't allowed to compete.
I don't care about the age rule. It can be 23, or 28, or better yet just get rid of it.
Meanwhile, the biased religious favoritism should be done away with immediately.