Here is the rule change from last spring that Mizzou will be appealing under for the Smiths' immediate eligibility:
"During its April 2018 meeting, the Division I Council approved an amendment to the committee's polices to specify that immediate eligibility may be provided in certain situations. For a waiver to be granted, an institution must demonstrate that the student athlete's transfer is due to documented mitigating circumstances outside of the student athlete's control and directly impacts the health, safety or well-being of the student athlete. Further, the student-athlete's overall academic record (e.g., meeting progress-toward-degree requirements, likelihood of graduation) and the previous institution's position on the request will be evaluated. This change is effective for all undergraduate transfers seeking immediate eligibility during the 2018-19 academic year and thereafter. The committee agreed that while it will continue to review requests on a case-by-case basis, the most common assertions submitted as mitigating circumstances are outlined in the remainder of this section."
https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/...StandardsGuidelinesandDirectives_20180529.pdf
So Missouri's responsibility here is fairly straightforward (or, at least, as straight forward as it gets with the NCAA): The have to establish circumstances out of the player's control, and they have to gain approval from the previous school. In theory, both should be reasonably achievable for Dru Smith. Granted, the NCAA had a chance to add in an exception for players who've had their coach fired, and they didn't, but if Evansville signs off on it, I don't really see anything standing in the way, here. Things are a bit murkier for Mark Smith. As has been discussed in previous threads, the NCAA has been liberally granting waivers on the basis of mental health, and given the circumstances surrounding Mark's departure from Illinois, he could have a decent case there. I don't know the basis of Mark's appeal, but Illinois would be unlikely do deny a waiver on those grounds. There is a specific exception for "egregious behavior" by the previous coach (which Mark Smith may argue), but I doubt Illinois would be as interested in signing off on that one.
I wouldn't say that either exception is likely, but from what I can tell, both are possible. We'll just have to wait and see what the NCAA's Random Rulings Generator spits out.
"During its April 2018 meeting, the Division I Council approved an amendment to the committee's polices to specify that immediate eligibility may be provided in certain situations. For a waiver to be granted, an institution must demonstrate that the student athlete's transfer is due to documented mitigating circumstances outside of the student athlete's control and directly impacts the health, safety or well-being of the student athlete. Further, the student-athlete's overall academic record (e.g., meeting progress-toward-degree requirements, likelihood of graduation) and the previous institution's position on the request will be evaluated. This change is effective for all undergraduate transfers seeking immediate eligibility during the 2018-19 academic year and thereafter. The committee agreed that while it will continue to review requests on a case-by-case basis, the most common assertions submitted as mitigating circumstances are outlined in the remainder of this section."
https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/...StandardsGuidelinesandDirectives_20180529.pdf
So Missouri's responsibility here is fairly straightforward (or, at least, as straight forward as it gets with the NCAA): The have to establish circumstances out of the player's control, and they have to gain approval from the previous school. In theory, both should be reasonably achievable for Dru Smith. Granted, the NCAA had a chance to add in an exception for players who've had their coach fired, and they didn't, but if Evansville signs off on it, I don't really see anything standing in the way, here. Things are a bit murkier for Mark Smith. As has been discussed in previous threads, the NCAA has been liberally granting waivers on the basis of mental health, and given the circumstances surrounding Mark's departure from Illinois, he could have a decent case there. I don't know the basis of Mark's appeal, but Illinois would be unlikely do deny a waiver on those grounds. There is a specific exception for "egregious behavior" by the previous coach (which Mark Smith may argue), but I doubt Illinois would be as interested in signing off on that one.
I wouldn't say that either exception is likely, but from what I can tell, both are possible. We'll just have to wait and see what the NCAA's Random Rulings Generator spits out.
