It wasn’t long ago that Oregon Duck fans received bad news about former All-Conference center N’Faly Dante, who had applied for an extra year of eligibility in the NCAA but had his request denied.
Then this week, after appealing the ruling, Dante once again had his appeal denied, officially ending his collegiate career with the Oregon Ducks in unceremonious fashion.
Oregon fans have been upset about this, but it seems there is no person more publicly upset than ESPN’s Jay Bilas, who has been claiming all along that Dante should be given another year of eligibility if the NCAA stays true to the message that I have always pushed.
What a shameful decision for the NCAA. Dante is everything the NCAA says he wants. Student-athlete wellness…nonsense. https://t.co/Wt8RXHBSk0
—Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) June 14, 2024
Dante was seeking an injury exemption as he played in just 12 games in 2019-20 and just six more in 2020-21. Oregon was hopeful as similar cases were confirmed across the country, but Dante was not so lucky.
Ultimately, Bilas’ words won’t be able to change anything, but it’s good for Duck fans to know that he has their back and they have every right to be frustrated by the final decision.