Since its existence, the NCAA has been home to college athletes who come from all corners of the world and participate in high-level play, as well as completing a degree. In the last year or so, however, the NCAA has lost its homey feel, transitioning from college-level stakes to allowing professional athletes to compete in their ranks.
Nathaniel Salmon, a 21-year-old, 6-foot-7, 270-pounder from New Zealand had never played football before, but because of his size, scouts convinced him to work out and pick the game up.
Salmon was invited to a camp where he impressed enough to be chosen as part of the International Player Pathway (IPP). It was the same program that discovered Eagles All-Pro lineman Jordan Mailata, who was a rugby star in New Zealand.
Salmon trained at IMG academy in Florida, and was invited to the Chargers rookie mini-camp as an undrafted free agent, but did not sign a contract. For many this is where the story would end, but not for Salmon. Salmon never played college football, so the NCAA determined he still has four years of college eligibility.
According to 247 Sports, Salmon holds offers from University of North Carolina, Utah State, Arizona State, Arizona University and Baylor University, and is drawing interest from many other top schools. Salmon would be two or three years older than a typical freshman entering college football.
“What about the freshman you recruited there?” legendary basketball coach Tom Izzo said about the situation. “That’s somebody’s son and he thinks he’s got himself a good place and all of a sudden, shazam, they pull out of their hat and bring a 21 or 22 year-old in. To me it’s ridiculous. To me it’s embarrassing.”
This isn’t a one-off, though, as other sports have seen similar situations, such as this fall at Ohio State.
The Buckeyes’ men’s soccer team recruited Michael Ndiweni, a 21-year-old from Newcastle, England. Ndiweni appeared in a Premier League match as a substitute against Chelsea in November 2023 and again against Paris Saint-Germain a few days later.
Ndiweni has played in eight matches this season, scoring one goal for the Buckeyes. Although this may not seem like much, it can set a dangerous precedent for college sports.
In late September, Santa Clara Broncos signed Thierry Darlan to their basketball team despite him already playing two seasons in the G League. The G League is the minor league of the NBA and allows players to develop before finding their way in the NBA.
Darlan is also 21 and has two more years of college eligibility per NCAA regulations, but this decision has sparked fierce debate in college basketball. Abdullah Ahmed also spent two years in the G league and was heavily recruited by Brigham Young University (BYU), University of Houston and Auburn University, according to Joe Tipton of Yahoo. Ahmed has since committed to BYU.
Even at Quinnipiac, men’s ice hockey freshman defenseman Graham Sward has two years of minor professional league experience under his belt. Sward previously played for Norfolk Admirals in the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL), and the Manitoba Moose in the American Hockey League (AHL).
St. John’s men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino chimed in on social media, saying in a post: “So let me get this straight, we can now recruit G league players? I have first dibs on Giannis Antetokounmpo!”
The line between amateur athletes and semi-professionalism has greatly diminished, much thanks to the power of Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) which allows players to make money from their name, image and likeness. Many athletes come from all parts of the world to take advantage of American schools for NIL, the resources, exposure and education.
Some of those players are grown men, having already earned money from playing their sport professionally, competing against 18 and 19-year-olds who have not earned anything and fight for a spot every day.
