Dave Paulsen

[GMU_Polevaulter]

As someone that was a GMU Scholarship athlete - the statement - "everyone who was eligible to stay wanted to return" could actually be true and yet people end up leaving. College sports are a business and a coach can show you the door without asking you to leave. They can take away your scholarship or part of it so that financially you can't personally afford to come back. They can tell you that hey I'm happy to have you stay but based on incoming players you will get even less playing time then you got this year. I lost a few teammates and 2 room mates/teammates that wanted to stay but had one of the two scenarios told to them by the head coach at the end of the season. All of them wanted to stay but choses to leave after the coaches meeting because they needed the financial help they would no longer get or were in college athletics so they could compete and were being told they would be practicing but not competing.

 

[Falco]

As someone that was a GMU Scholarship athlete - the statement - "everyone who was eligible to stay wanted to return" could actually be true and yet people end up leaving. College sports are a business and a coach can show you the door without asking you to leave. They can take away your scholarship or part of it so that financially you can't personally afford to come back. They can tell you that hey I'm happy to have you stay but based on incoming players you will get even less playing time then you got this year. I lost a few teammates and 2 room mates/teammates that wanted to stay but had one of the two scenarios told to them by the head coach at the end of the season. All of them wanted to stay but choses to leave after the coaches meeting because they needed the financial help they would no longer get or were in college athletics so they could compete and were being told they would be practicing but not competing.

This is exactly why they need stop calling playing STUDENT athletes. If the university prioritized the student aspect, they would not strong arm players into transferring.


I personally think a scholarship should be guaranteed for 4 years.

 

[Jack Strop]

As someone that was a GMU Scholarship athlete - the statement - "everyone who was eligible to stay wanted to return" could actually be true and yet people end up leaving. College sports are a business and a coach can show you the door without asking you to leave. They can take away your scholarship or part of it so that financially you can't personally afford to come back. They can tell you that hey I'm happy to have you stay but based on incoming players you will get even less playing time then you got this year. I lost a few teammates and 2 room mates/teammates that wanted to stay but had one of the two scenarios told to them by the head coach at the end of the season. All of them wanted to stay but choses to leave after the coaches meeting because they needed the financial help they would no longer get or were in college athletics so they could compete and were being told they would be practicing but not competing.

Correct. Thank you. How many times in our own lives have we wanted to do something, and others were supportive, but in the end it was impractical to do. Or, circumstances change. So, we do something else.

For example,: You like your team, the coaches, the university. You want to play. The coach says, yes, we will honor your scholarship, we will help you develop, but you won't play much unless you improve greatly — it's all on you. You wanted to stay, coach allowed you to stay, but you know going somewhere else may be best for you. So you leave for what could be a better opportunity to grow AND play.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

I was on a full ride scholarship for football. After my sophomore year the coach left for an SEC school and I knew almost immediately I was not in the new coach’s plans going forward. Me and 7 other scholarship players were called into a meeeting with the new coach and were basically told that we were welcome to remain part of the team but we had to pay our own way going forward.

Of course this was depressing for me personally but I got over it, moved on, and got my degree from Mason. But 4 other players were from very poor backgrounds and the only chance of obtaining a college education went out of the door forever. And one of them was an honor student.

It seems as if some mechanism should be in place for those 4 players to gurantee their scholarships at least on a need basis. They could remain on scholarship but not with the team and those scholarships would not count against the NCAA limit. At least two of those players I know for sure would've stayed as students only if they could afford it.

 

[Falco]

I was on a full ride scholarship for football. After my sophomore year the coach left for an SEC school and I knew almost immediately I was not in the new coach’s plans going forward. Me and 7 other scholarship players were called into a meeeting with the new coach and were basically told that we were welcome to remain part of the team but we had to pay our own way going forward.

Of course this was depressing for me personally but I got over it, moved on, and got my degree from Mason. But 4 other players were from very poor backgrounds and the only chance of obtaining a college education went out of the door forever. And one of them was an honor student.

It seems as if some mechanism should be in place for those 4 players to gurantee their scholarships at least on a need basis. They could remain on scholarship but not with the team and those scholarships would not count against the NCAA limit. At least two of those players I know for sure would've stayed as students only if they could afford it.

These kind of stories boil my blood. It’s sickening that university’s do this.

 

[jessej]

I was on a full ride scholarship for football. After my sophomore year the coach left for an SEC school and I knew almost immediately I was not in the new coach’s plans going forward. Me and 7 other scholarship players were called into a meeeting with the new coach and were basically told that we were welcome to remain part of the team but we had to pay our own way going forward.

Of course this was depressing for me personally but I got over it, moved on, and got my degree from Mason. But 4 other players were from very poor backgrounds and the only chance of obtaining a college education went out of the door forever. And one of them was an honor student.

It seems as if some mechanism should be in place for those 4 players to gurantee their scholarships at least on a need basis. They could remain on scholarship but not with the team and those scholarships would not count against the NCAA limit. At least two of those players I know for sure would've stayed as students only if they could afford it.

The same thing happened when I was in Grad School. FB coach was fired and the new incoming coach wanted to dump 5 scholarship players and use those scholarships for "his guys". The University agreed with the coach and converted those 5 players to academic scholarships. They had to fill out the financial aid forms, and the university covered the amounts beyond what they were eligible from federal financial aid. 3 of the guys gave up football. 2 of them tried out for the team and both were cut.

 

[Dawgs99]

I was on a full ride scholarship for football. After my sophomore year the coach left for an SEC school and I knew almost immediately I was not in the new coach’s plans going forward. Me and 7 other scholarship players were called into a meeeting with the new coach and were basically told that we were welcome to remain part of the team but we had to pay our own way going forward.

Of course this was depressing for me personally but I got over it, moved on, and got my degree from Mason. But 4 other players were from very poor backgrounds and the only chance of obtaining a college education went out of the door forever. And one of them was an honor student.

It seems as if some mechanism should be in place for those 4 players to gurantee their scholarships at least on a need basis. They could remain on scholarship but not with the team and those scholarships would not count against the NCAA limit. At least two of those players I know for sure would've stayed as students only if they could afford it.

Not trying to be a dick here just curious.....did you try and play some place else before you came to Mason? I also played college football on scholarship and saw some of the same things happen. Most of the guys who were nudged out the door ended up playing some place else.

 

[Walter]

Where did you guys play?

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Not trying to be a dick here just curious.....did you try and play some place else before you came to Mason? I also played college football on scholarship and saw some of the same things happen. Most of the guys who were nudged out the door ended up playing some place else.

I did not. I was an immature young man and thought that playing at anywhere besides a D-IA (FBS now) program was beneath me and was a waste of time. My high school coach advised me that he could POSSIBLY still get me hooked up at JMU or Appalachian State (I-AA schools back then) but I had no interest becuase I was delusional and thought I was NFL material (Newsflash: I wasn't!). I regret that decision ot this day. But that was just a dumb move by me.

My two other teammates who were effected were juniors and they weren't getting alot of playing time anyway and they had already accepted that fact and were just on the team so they could get their degrees. Not likely any school would give a scholarship to a 3 year benchwarmer who only had one year left. They deserved better in my opinion.

 

[Leesburg Chankenstank III]

Where did you guys play?

Marshall

 

[GMUgemini]

I was on a full ride scholarship for football. After my sophomore year the coach left for an SEC school and I knew almost immediately I was not in the new coach’s plans going forward. Me and 7 other scholarship players were called into a meeeting with the new coach and were basically told that we were welcome to remain part of the team but we had to pay our own way going forward.

Of course this was depressing for me personally but I got over it, moved on, and got my degree from Mason. But 4 other players were from very poor backgrounds and the only chance of obtaining a college education went out of the door forever. And one of them was an honor student.

It seems as if some mechanism should be in place for those 4 players to gurantee their scholarships at least on a need basis. They could remain on scholarship but not with the team and those scholarships would not count against the NCAA limit. At least two of those players I know for sure would've stayed as students only if they could afford it.

I had a student who this happened to before he got to school -- was recruited by the last coach -- that coach left, and the new coach pulled his scholarship offer so he could get his guys.

 

[Dawgs99]

Where did you guys play?

Catawba College, DII in NC. We actually played Catawba in basketball a few years back.....in the RAC.

 

[Walter]

Marshall's and Catawba's loss. Mason's gain.

 

[Falco]

I did not. I was an immature young man and thought that playing at anywhere besides a D-IA (FBS now) program was beneath me and was a waste of time. My high school coach advised me that he could POSSIBLY still get me hooked up at JMU or Appalachian State (I-AA schools back then) but I had no interest becuase I was delusional and thought I was NFL material (Newsflash: I wasn't!). I regret that decision ot this day. But that was just a dumb move by me.

My two other teammates who were effected were juniors and they weren't getting alot of playing time anyway and they had already accepted that fact and were just on the team so they could get their degrees. Not likely any school would give a scholarship to a 3 year benchwarmer who only had one year left. They deserved better in my opinion.

We were all young and dumb at one point. My high school football coach told me that he had connections at Montclair (D3) and asked what are my plans after high school. I told him, I’m not sure but I don’t want to play football anymore. So dumb.

 

[Jack Strop]

These kind of stories boil my blood. It’s sickening that university’s do this.

I would like to think, or hope, that coaches who dump students in this manner are simply douchebag
exceptions. If the coach or AD has any class, at least help these players find viable options to continue
their educations.

 

[Dawgs99]

Marshall's and Catawba's loss. Mason's gain.

Just to clarify, I finished my playing career at Catawba. I never attended Mason. My parents have been season ticket holders since the mid 80's. I started attending Mason games when I was 5 years old! So I've seen the thick and the thin over the past 30 years.

 

[jessej]

Catawba College, DII in NC. We actually played Catawba in basketball a few years back.....in the RAC.

I was there - i believe Mason scored over 100

 

[PoorManProfit]

I was there - i believe Mason scored over 100

yep they def scored more than fan attended

 

[psyclone]

John Feinstein in today's print edition of the Post--contains many quotes from DP and gives some background on how he was hired at Bucknell.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...e-hixon-was-one-best-coaches-you-never-heard/

 

[ephoops]

John Feinstein in today's print edition of the Post--contains many quotes from DP and gives some background on how he was hired at Bucknell.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...e-hixon-was-one-best-coaches-you-never-heard/

Hixon is a great coach. He's a legend at Amherst College.