The NCAA Was Shamed Into Overturning Another Dumb Eligibility Ruling

After tons of public pressure and negative media attention, the NCAA has reversed its stance and will allow BYU runner Jared Ward to compete for his senior season. Good job, everyone!

Ward, one of the country's top runners, was declared ineligible because he took part in a costume-optional fun run in 2009, a few months before enrolling at BYU. The NCAA considered that a competitive advantage for Ward, even though he had spent two years not competing because he was doing LDS mission work. Two BYU appeals were unsuccessful, but when the Deseret News featured Ward's story last week, it was only a matter of time before the NCAA caved to public opinion.

This morning the NCAA overturned its ruling and declared Ward eligible to run starting immediately. He'll compete in the NCAA regionals on Friday, and the championships next week—sadly, that's all that's left of his season.

Below is our original story on the absurdity of Ward's ineligibility.