I'm an Orange fan but this sort of thing is what makes the NCAA a joke. Mangakahia is already 22 and played professionally. She'll be 25 as a senior. It may be playing by the rules, or keeping up with everyone else - but watching some of SU's programs (e.g., women's field hockey, men's soccer) become havens for over-aged foreigners disappoints me. I am not anti-foreigner, it just is not the way NCAA college sports are (were) meant to be played. Every one want to see the football program recruit more locals or NYS kids, meanwhile the field hockey team has 8 Europeans and the men's soccer team has 13 foreigners. And most of the time these players are at least 2 years older than their American counterparts so they're playing college sports at 25 as seniors. Ridiculous.
I'm an Orange fan but this sort of thing is what makes the NCAA a joke. Mangakahia is already 22 and played professionally. She'll be 25 as a senior. It may be playing by the rules, or keeping up with everyone else - but watching some of SU's programs (e.g., women's field hockey, men's soccer) become havens for over-aged foreigners disappoints me. I am not anti-foreigner, it just is not the way NCAA college sports are (were) meant to be played. Every one want to see the football program recruit more locals or NYS kids, meanwhile the field hockey team has 8 Europeans and the men's soccer team has 13 foreigners. And most of the time these players are at least 2 years older than their American counterparts so they're playing college sports at 25 as seniors. Ridiculous.
Sorry, but I don't agree with any of this. We recruit foreign players in FH & Soccer because that's where the talent is. The majority of these student-athletes are using the sport as a means to get a quality education paid for. Look at college hockey, many of the American players play a few years of Juniors & enter college as 20-21 yr old Freshman. Many American lacrosse players are held back a grade &/or do a PG year & then redshirt on-top of that & will be 23-25 yr old Seniors. Kids in every sport are held back & play their senior season of HS as 19 yr olds (I turned 17 in August prior to my senior HS football season, some kids were nearly 2 years older even though we were in the same class). It's not just "foreigners"...remember, Chris Weinke arrived at FSU as a 25 yr old after spending 6 yrs in the Blue Jays' farm system, won a title at 27, & won the Heisman at 28. Brandon Weeden did similar at OK St. & Arizona has a 26 yr old Freshman QB this year, Donovan Tate, who was the former #3 pick in the '09 MLB draft & can walk on because the Padres are contractually obligated to pay for his education. These are obviously outliers but my point is that everyone, regardless of their geographic origins, has different circumstances &, as you acknowledged, SU isn't doing anything that every other program isn't.I'm an Orange fan but this sort of thing is what makes the NCAA a joke. Mangakahia is already 22 and played professionally. She'll be 25 as a senior. It may be playing by the rules, or keeping up with everyone else - but watching some of SU's programs (e.g., women's field hockey, men's soccer) become havens for over-aged foreigners disappoints me. I am not anti-foreigner, it just is not the way NCAA college sports are (were) meant to be played. Every one want to see the football program recruit more locals or NYS kids, meanwhile the field hockey team has 8 Europeans and the men's soccer team has 13 foreigners. And most of the time these players are at least 2 years older than their American counterparts so they're playing college sports at 25 as seniors. Ridiculous.