NCAA denies waiver request for Masoli

The NCAA today granted a graduate student transfer waiver for former Oregon quarterback and current Mississippi quarterback Jeremiah Masoli. But the NCAA ruled that Masoli cannot play until the 2011-12 academic year.

The decision was based on the fact that Masoli was dismissed from the Oregon football team. According to the NCAA, "The waiver exists to provide relief to student-athletes who transfer for academic reasons to pursue graduate studies, not to avoid disciplinary measures at the previous university."

According to NCAA rules, Masoli needed a waiver request to play this season because as a graduate student-athlete, Masoli would be enrolled in a university where he did not receive his undergraduate degree.

Mississippi plans to appeal the NCAA's decision.