'Baker Mayfield rule' voted down; Oklahoma QB denied additional year of eligibility

IRVING, Texas — For at least a day, the issue of potential expansion in the Big 12 was pushed to the back burner.

In its place — the eligibility of Baker Mayfield.

The league’s Faculty Athletic Representatives split on a vote Wednesday that would’ve given the Oklahoma quarterback an additional year of eligibility.

A proposed rule change that would’ve made non-recruited walk-ons not subject to the rule mandating the loss of a year of eligibility after a transfer within the conference failed 5-5.

It needed six votes to pass.

“To transfer to another institution and have to sit a year, that’s OK,” Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione said. “The rule provides for that, and that’s OK. But to take away a year of eligibility just goes too far for a non-scholarship student-athlete. There may be people that argue it goes too far period, even if you are on aid. But we understand why there’s a deterrent there. If a school can’t or won’t give them aid where they are, why would you penalize them to go another place?”

Without further action, the 2016 season would by Mayfield’s last at Oklahoma.

He would, however, be eligible to transfer to another Division I school outside of the Big 12 and be eligible immediately upon graduation.

In a long message posted on Twitter on Wednesday night, Mayfield said he was "miserable" sitting out the 2014 season at Oklahoma after transferring and vowed to make the upcoming season "my best one yet."

“Fans of Sooner Nation, thank you so much for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me through thick and thin,” Mayfield posted. “And to the people that do not like me, you probably think I have been given everything in my life, that I am a spoiled crybaby, and I respect that because it (is) your opinion that you are entitled to.

“But I really do not care. But I’ll be damned if I let somebody think I have been handed everything. I take advantage of the opportunities I am given.”

In a statement released by the OU sports information department, Sooners coach Bob Stoops said: "I'm incredibly disappointed the rule change proposal wasn't passed today at Big 12 meetings. I hope the conference will reconsider its decision and put the welfare of student-athletes first.

"It only makes sense for the Big 12's rules to be consistent with those of the NCAA when it comes to non-scholarship walk-on student-athletes. Yes, today's vote impacts Baker Mayfield, but in reality this is about all student-athletes in all sports at Big 12 schools. Again, I'm disappointed for Baker, but also for anyone down the road who may be negatively impacted by today's vote."

Castiglione said he was still hopeful the rule could be altered in time to benefit Mayfield, saying the faculty reps met during the year and could have another vote.

Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby said there was worry about schools' recruited walk-ons from another conference program if the rule were to be changed.

“I think there was some apprehension about any walk-on at any one of our schools being recruited to another school by an offer of a scholarship and whether that is what we want to do,” Bowlsby said. “All of our programs have walk-ons. Many of them have several walk-on, non-scholarship kids that came there of their own volition but were recruited as preferred walk-ons.

“I think we need to be careful about unintended consequences. I wasn’t in the room when the vote was taken, but I was in the room when the ADs and faculty reps considered the matter. There were some good points made on both sides of it. It’s important we consider the matter not in light of one student-athlete but rather in light of what’s the right rule going forward. If we do the latter, we’ll take care of the former.”

Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech in 2013, becoming the first walk-on quarterback to start his team’s season opener as a freshman.

He wound up playing eight games for the Red Raiders that season, starting seven, and throwing for 2,315 yards and 12 touchdowns.

During bowl preparations after that season, with Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury saying the quarterback competition would be open, Mayfield announced his decision to transfer.

Mayfield has said Kingsbury gave him no guarantees of a scholarship moving forward.

So he decided to transfer to Oklahoma in the wake of the Sooners’ Sugar Bowl win over Alabama.

After sitting out the 2014 season, Mayfield beat out Trevor Knight and Cody Thomas to earn the starting spot for the Sooners and turned in a remarkable season, throwing for 3,700 yards and 36 touchdowns with just seven interceptions. He also ran for 405 yards and seven touchdowns, helping Oklahoma reach the College Football Playoff.

He was named the Sporting News’ Player of the Year and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.