The NCAA granted University of Miami tight end Cam McCormick a waiver Thursday to play in his ninth consecutive season of college football.
The 25-year-old super senior announced on Twitter he would be returning to the University of Miami for his ninth and presumably final year of college football.
Appreciate all of the support! #84Resilient #GoCanes pic.twitter.com/KKYlI2jO8P
— Cam (@McCormick_Cam) January 18, 2024
NCAA rules typically state that athletes have four years of eligibility from the moment they enroll in college, with the potential to get another year if they choose to redshirt, in which an athlete will choose to not play in games due to inexperience or injury. In 2020, the NCAA made a special exemption for all Division 1 athletes who played a Fall sport due to the Coronavirus, giving them another year of eligibility. (RELATED: Cam Ward Changes Mind On NFL Draft, Commits To The University Of Miami… Incoming National Championship?)
While many critics have stated that McCormick should move on to his professional life, arguing that he has an unfair advantage due to being significantly older and more experienced than his opponents, it is important to note that the NCAA has no set age limitations on when someone could play football, only using time spent in college to determine eligibility. This past season, the University of Virginia’s starting kicker, Matt Ganyard, was a 34-year-old father of two. There is nothing wrong with a person who is pursuing a full-time education getting involved in extracurricular athletics.
Cam McCormick is a student-athlete in good standing with his school. Speaking as a former Miami football player, he should savor every moment he can because it will be over before he knows it.
McCormick, who began his collegiate career in 2016, redshirted his first year in college at the University of Oregon before playing as a backup in 2017. A leg injury hindered the Oregon Duck from getting significant playing time in 2018, and complications from the injury cost him the 2019 and 2020 seasons. In 2021, McCormick also tore his Achilles tendon two weeks into the season, ending it.
In 2023, McCormick transferred to the University of Miami to play in his eighth year of college football, where he would go on to record eight receptions for 62 yards.
McCormick was able to earn both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Oregon.