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ATLANTA — A returned LDS missionary in Georgia was stunned to learn he can't play college basketball because of a few games of "church ball."
Nathan Harries had returned in June from serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Raleigh, N.C. In July, one of Nathan's friend who attends the Dunwoody Baptist Church needed a favor for his congregation's basketball team.
"A friend of the family asked him, called him up," said Nathan's father, Michael Harries. "They didn't have enough players."
Michael said his son only played three games with the church basketball team. However, when the NCAA asked Nathan to fill out a questionnaire before playing in his freshman year for Colgate University, he informed them that he played for his friend's church league.
That cost him a year of eligibility.
"Had Nathan known, had we known, obviously, he wouldn't have played," Michael said.
Nathan has been told that if an athlete hasn't enrolled in college within a year of graduating high school, they lose a year of eligibility if they play in any organized competition. Even with informal church basketball games, the rule states if the league has referees, uniforms, and if they keep official scores, then it counts as organized competition.
Michael said that Nathan didn't register for college within a year of his high school graduation because he started his mission very shortly after he graduated.
Colgate University applied for a waiver which was denied by the NCAA; however, an official appeal was started and Michael said he is hopeful for his son.
"[Hopefully], they'll look at this and that they'll take a common sense approach to look at the spirit of the rule versus the letter of it and give him a year back," Michael said.
