Colorado football coach Deion Sanders voiced his displeasure with the NCAA after offensive lineman Tyler Brown was denied immediate eligibility for the 2023 season.
Brown transferred from Louisiana to Jackson State last season and subsequently transferred to Colorado when Sanders became the program’s head coach. He was seeking a waiver, citing mental health issues, to grant him immediate eligibility to play in the upcoming season but it was denied by the NCAA, prompting a fiery response from Sanders.
“It don’t make sense,” said Sanders during a press conference on Tuesday. “Some things just don’t make sense. You say you really care about mental health, but when you have someone really dealing with mental health, there’s a problem. Then, ostracizing him and not allowing him to do what he’s blessed and gifted to do and the thing that brings him peace, that’s trying for a young man.”
In a video posted to YouTube last week, Brown discussed his struggles with mental health at length.
Under new NCAA rules adopted earlier this year, players who are transferring schools for a second time will only be granted immediate eligibility if there’s a physical or mental health issue that led to them transferring.
Sanders feels that Brown provided evidence of such an issue, and expressed his dissatisfaction over the NCAA’s decision to deny his immediate eligibility.
“It’s like, wow, do you really care, or are you just saying you care? Are you caring when it’s convenient? Or when it’s profitable?” asked Sanders of the NCAA.
Brown will not be eligible to suit up for the Buffaloes until the 2024 season.
