Dawson Basketball Starting a JV Program
The Dawson Community College basketball programs are starting Junior Varsity (JV) teams this coming year. They will compete in college games against many of the other JV programs from four-year schools around Montana and North Dakota as well as some of the tribal schools.
"We've always carried several extra players in our program each year," explained Athletic Director and Men's Basketball Coach Joe Peterson. "In the past, those individuals would redshirt to preserve their year of eligibility while they developed and grew academically and athletically. It has really served us well and been a great opportunity for many players, especially those from around Montana. We've seen many of those players go on to have successful college basketball careers, but now with the NCAA instituting a new eligibility model, there are going to be many high school students looking for spots on college rosters. And it would benefit those athletes to get some meaningful college experience with actual games."
The proposed "5-for-5" eligibility model in the NCAA Division I would grant student-athletes five years to compete in five full seasons. In the past, eligibility was limited to four seasons of competition within a five-year clock so many student-athletes would take advantage of a red-shirt year to develop. This new proposal shifts toward an age-based model and eliminates standard redshirting. It is only a proposal at the NCAA Division I level, but it is expected to pass and then other NCAA Divisions and the NAIA will most likely follow suit. When it does pass, there will be a lot less spots on college rosters open to high school kids in all sports which has been an issue ever since the COVID year when college athletes were granted a "free year" of eligibility. Also, over the past few years, many college athletes have appealed and been granted an extra year of eligibility if they played at lower levels where they weren't able to make the same kind of NIL money as they could've at the Division I level. Some athletes have played as many as 6 years in college athletics. This legislation is aimed at "cleaning up" the confusion on years of eligibility and cut down on the number of appeals and lawsuits that have drastically risen over the past few years.
Both Dawson basketball programs will be aiming to carry 20-25 players between their varsity and junior varsity rosters this coming year and into the future.
