Jeremy Bloom’s final, fragile chance for reinstatement to the Colorado football team was crushed Tuesday by an appeals committee’s decision to uphold the NCAA’s initial ruling.
Begrudgingly, Bloom, 22, now can focus on training for the 2006 Winter Olympics at Turin, Italy, where he hopes to win a freestyle skiing gold medal.
The five-member appeals committee, composed of at least three Division I-A administrators selected by the NCAA, heard CU and Bloom restate their cases in a conference call that lasted about an hour.
In a statement issued by the athletic office, CU said the committee deliberated two hours before turning down the appeal. Bloom required three affirmative votes to be reinstated; the NCAA would not divulge the outcome of the voting.
“Naturally, he’s disheartened and upset with the decision,” said Bloom’s father, Larry. He added that Jeremy, who remains near Santiago, Chile, training with the U.S. ski team, plans to attend the Buffaloes’ season opener Sept. 4 against Colorado State “to watch and support his teammates.”
Though school officials and Bloom’s family considered it a long shot that the appeal over ski-related earnings would be granted, the realization that Bloom’s college football career is over was met with disenchantment.
“We’re all really disappointed,” CU football coach Gary Barnett said. “Personally, I’m extremely disappointed in the lack of flexibility by the NCAA.”
