NCAA's Rule On Foreigners Held Illegal

WASHINGTON -- U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gessell has ruled unconstitutional an NCAA rule limiting the eligibility of foreign students. Gessell issued his ruling yesterday in a suit filed by Howard University challenging NCAA action barring its soccer team from 1973 championship competition and ordering the return of its third place trophy for 1970 and first place trophy for 1971.

The NCAA took the action after ruling Howard had one ineligible foreign player in 1970 and four ineligible foreign players in 1971. All were from the West Indies. Gesell said an NCAA rule that foreign students lose a year of eligibility for every year after their 19th birthday is unconstitutional because it does not apply equally to Americans.

[source: upi]