For years college football coaches have labored, even agonized, over whether to play a freshman who might be able contribute immediately or hold him out of games to preserve a year of eligibility and hopefully cash in greater rewards down the road.
Those decisions are about to get a whole lot easier.
Rarely does the NCAA pass legislation that is both wholeheartedly endorsed by coaches and beneficial to players, but the new redshirt rule appears to be that kind of smash hit. Players will now be allowed to play in up to four games and still qualify for a redshirt season, maintaining four years of eligibility.