After place kicker Katie Hnida came forward with allegations that she was raped by a teammate at the University of Colorado, she filed an appeal to the NCAA requesting a sixth year of athletic eligibility. On Friday, Hnida's appeal was granted.
The 2003-04 NCAA Division I bylaw 30.6 states that an athlete's eligibility may be extended to six years if he or she is deprived of the opportunity to participate for more than one season in the standard five-year period.
According to a news release from the NCAA, Hnida was denied two seasons of participation due to medical reasons. It said Hnida was unable to participate in the 1999-2000 season because of mononucleosis and she was unable to participate in the 2000-01 season because of severe infections in her throat and tonsils that required surgery.
A sixth year of eligibility is something that has been requested by many athletes, but most requests have been denied.
Starting Lobo kicker Wes Zunker said he has never heard of the elusive "sixth year" being granted. But he said each individual's conditions should be considered.
Zunker said he was only a little bit surprised that Hnida's appeal was granted, even though it is such a rare ruling. He also said it is rare for a woman to be playing college football.
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"I look at it that way and then at the situation at CU," he said. "I thought she had a pretty good shot at getting an extra year because of what's going on up there. Definitely they took into consideration what she went through."
Head coach Rocky Long said the sixth year has seldom been granted in the past, but it is becoming more common. Running back Quincy Wright filed an appeal last season, but was denied a sixth year of eligibility.
"It's an indication that the NCAA is taking the athletes' feelings into account more than they used to," Long said. "If they don't get to play five years, they seem to be getting a lot more sixth-year clearances."
Both Long and Zunker said they didn't think gender was a factor in the NCAA's ruling. They agreed each case should be considered individually.
Hnida was not available for comment and has said she will not conduct any interviews regarding the matter. But in a news release, Hnida said she was grateful to the NCAA Reinstatement Committee for granting her waiver for another year of eligibility.
"As an athlete, you never look forward to the day when you put on the uniform for the last time," she said. "I was hoping that day had not come for me. I am thrilled to be back with my teammates. I feel honored and blessed to be a Lobo for another season."
Hnida walked onto the UNM football team in August of 2002.
UNM is still waiting on a response to linebacker Fola Fashola's bid for an extra year. Fashola suffered a season-ending knee injury in the home opener last season against Texas State-San Marcos.
