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By Sonny Jones

Today is a momentous anniversary for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, but you have to be well past 50 years old — as some of us are — to remember.

On this date in 1972 the NCAA announced that freshmen would be allowed to play on varsity teams beginning in the fall. Yep, there was a time that incoming college freshmen couldn’t play varsity sports. That seems unbelievable today, but the thinking behind the rule was to allow freshmen to adjust to college life without the added pressure of all of the games and travel that is a part of being a college athlete.

Freshmen practiced with their teams and some sports had freshmen teams that played a limited schedule with limited travel.

Former N.C. State star David Thompson and basketball Hall of Fame member averaged 35 points per game for the Wolfpack’s freshman team in 1971-72. Duke had a highly touted freshmen team that went 16-0 in the late 1960s or early 1970s that never lived up to expectations. I don’t recall any of the players, but the team had some media coverage, which was rare for freshmen teams.

Of course, this was long before billion dollar television deals, transfer portals, Name, Image and Likeness rules, internet sites, travel teams and leaving school early to turn pro. It wasn’t a time of purity — N.C. State was placed on probation for its recruitment of Thompson and the Dixie Classic which featured our state’s “Big Four” teams ended in 1961 because of a point-shaving scandal — but it was a different time in college athletics.

Obviously, it’s been shown that freshmen can handle the rigors of playing varsity sports and I doubt the scholastic part of the student-athlete has been harmed. If you want to do the schoolwork and get a degree, you will. If you don’t, you won’t.

• There’s very few positives that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic, but one has been NBA and college basketball coaches no longer wearing a fancy suit and looking like they’re headed to church. Now, they look like they’ve come straight from practice to the game. It’s a good thing.

• Watched about 45 minutes of a cricket game — or is it match? — and never figured out any of it. Even looked up the rules on the internet and still didn’t understand any of it. Guess you’ll never hear me chirping about cricket.

BOWLS, BOWLS, BOWLS

Not sure if I should be ashamed or proud, but still attempting to watch every bowl game. A couple of games might be difficult to find a replay. So far, I have watched 38 of 42 bowl games either live or on-demand. Going to make Monday the deadline so may not be enough hours in the day.

Games played: 42 (through Jan. 2)
Games watched live: 22
Games streamed: 16
Games to watch: 4 (Sun, Arizona, Citrus, Cotton)

• RELIAQUEST BOWL: Mississippi State 19, Illinois 10
(Played Monday, Jan. 2; watched Saturday, Jan. 7)
The late Mike Leach probably wouldn’t have been happy with his Air Raid offense, but he would have been pleased with how the game ended. The Bulldogs won it on Massimo Biscardi’s 27-yard field goal with four seconds remaining, then added a 60-yard fumble return for a score on the final play as Illinois was trying to lateral its way to victory. The Pirate went out a winner.

• MUSIC CITY BOWL: Iowa 21, Kentucky 0
(Played Saturday, Dec. 31, watched Tuesday, Jan. 3)
Iowa’s Xavier Nwankpa and Cooper DeJean returned interceptions for touchdowns in a game that seemed more like a NFL preseason game than a college bowl game. Neither team had its starting quarterback from this season and neither played its quarterback that will be starting next season. Next season, Iowa is expected to start Michigan transfer Cade McNamara and Kentucky is expected to start N.C. State transfer Devin Leary.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

• 1972 — The Los Angeles Lakers defeat the Atlanta Hawks 134-90 for their 33rd straight victory, an NBA record.

POTATO PICKS TO WATCH TODAY

• NFL: Carolina at New Orleans, 1 p.m., FOX

• NFL: Cleveland at Pittsburgh, 1 p.m., CBS

• FOOTBALL: FCS championship – N. Dakota St. vs. S. Dakota St., 2 p.m., ABC

• NHL: Florida at Dallas, 3:30 p.m., NHLN

• WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Notre Dame at North Carolina, 4 p.m., ACCN

• NFL: Dallas at Washington, 4:25 p.m., FOX

• NFL: N.Y. Giants at Philadelphia, 4:25 p.m., CBS

• PGA: Tournament of Champions, 4 p.m., NBC and 6 p.m., GOLF

• SOCCER: Tigres UANL at Santos Laguna, 8 p.m., FS1