NCAA to allow Duke players to reclaim lost season
RALEIGH, N.C. -- The NCAA has granted Duke's request for an extra year of eligibility for its men's lacrosse players following rape allegations that led to the cancellation of much of last season.
The decision affects 33 players who were not seniors during the 2006 season, and it grants them a fifth year of eligibility regardless of whether they play at Duke or another school. The announcement Wednesday came just two days after the Blue Devils lost to Johns Hopkins by a goal in the NCAA championship game.
"These individuals were involved in an unusual circumstance that we believe warrants providing them the opportunity to complete their four years of competition," said Jennifer Strawley, NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement and membership services.
Duke played just eight games last year before the university canceled what was left of the season as police investigated allegations a woman was sexually assaulted at a team party. Three players were later indicted, but the accusations were eventually debunked by North Carolina's top prosecutor, who called the trio "innocent" victims of a "tragic rush to accuse."
This year's seniors would be eligible next season by pursuing graduate-level course work. Coach John Danowski said he planned to talk with them in the coming weeks to see if any would be interested in staying.
"Sometimes four years runs its course and they might want to move on and forward with their lives," said Danowski, whose son, Matt, was a senior All-American for Duke. "Certainly we'll give them their space. Everybody assumed this was a long shot and we didn't allow them to think about that because we were also playing for the national championship.
"For these [seniors] ... whatever they want is fine with me," Danowski said.
The NCAA said it considered several factors, including unanimous support from the presidents of the Atlantic Coast Conference universities, according to a news release.
Also on Wednesday, a Duke alumnus bought a full-page ad in USA Today to show support for the program. The headline on the ad reads, "For a team very few people stood by, how about a standing ovation?"
