Big Ten sends Ott case to the NCAA

There was movement Monday in Drew Ott's petition for a medical hardship waiver and a fifth year of eligibility. Where his next season of football is played — with the University of Iowa or in the NFL — now lies in the hands of the NCAA.

In a statement, the University of Iowa said the Big Ten has granted the UI's request to forward the school's petition to the NCAA. Now, the NCAA will decide on Ott's request for an additional year of eligibility through the medical hardship waiver process.

Here's the full statement: 'In regards to the University of Iowa appeal on behalf of Drew Ott, the Big Ten Conference has granted the UI's request to forward the petition to the NCAA, where a decision will be rendered on his request for an additional year through the Medical Hardship Waiver process.'

The UI presented its case to the Big Ten and the conference has agreed to send the petition to the NCAA, which has the authority to approve the petition.

Monday was the first official word of any progress on the petition. UI officials offered no timeline on when the NCAA's decision might come.

It's difficult to characterize this as a positive or a procedural move. Ott didn't meet one of the main criteria for a medical hardship waiver. He played in more than 30 percent of Iowa's games last season, seeing action in six of 14 games. NCAA rules allow players to receive a medical hardship if they fail to complete 30 percent of the season before the season's halfway point.

This summary of NCAA rules highlights the prodecure:

In medical hardship cases in which participation thresholds have not been exceeded (i.e., the student has not competed in more than 30 percent of the regular-season contests and has not competed beyond the midpoint of the regular season), conferences decide whether the student shall regain the season at issue. In cases in which participation thresholds have been exceeded, conferences decide only whether to forward the case to the NCAA, and the NCAA decides whether the student shall regain the season at issue.

Ott, a defensive end for the Hawkeyes, filed paperwork toward gaining a medical hardship waiver in late November after two separate injuries took major bites out of his senior season.

Last weekend, the NCAA gave Ott permission to attend the NFL Combine, which Ott was invited to after he finished 2015 with 5.0 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss. Because his NCAA eligibility remains pending, Ott isn't allowed to sign with an agent.

'(The appeal has) taken a lot longer to rule on than I thought initially . . . Hopefully here in two weeks I should hear back,' Ott told reporters at the Combine. 'It's a different (time frame) for every case. I don't think it would be too hard to go back (to Iowa). I've still been doing the same things, training at Iowa and stuff like that, so it's not like I've ever really left.'

Ott played in Iowa's six games last year, but failed to play significant snaps in three. He suffered a gruesome dislocated left elbow in the second quarter of Iowa's second game at Iowa State. He played sparingly in the next two games, one of which he was able to start. He then played in Iowa's first two conference games against Wisconsin and Illinois. In the third quarter against Illinois, Iowa's sixth game, he suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and his season ended.

Ott, 6-4, 272 pounds, had knee surgery to repair his ACL tear in late October. In December, he had his ulnar collateral ligament replaced with a tendon in his elbow, commonly known as Tommy John surgery.

Ott suffered the dislocated elbow while diving in a pile for a fumble. He tore the MCL and LCL during the play.

'I got those both reconstructed, put back together and all cleaned up,' he said in December.

The knee surgery included the torn ACL, meniscus and removal of some bone shavings. Doctors stitched back in the major part of the meniscus that tore off, but Ott lost pieces in two other areas.

On Dec. 29 during Iowa's Rose Bowl preparation, Ott, a health and human physiology major who graduates in the spring, said he'd be interested in using a fifth year to begin graduate school. He also offered an update on his health.

'I think I'm going to be running here pretty soon, in a couple weeks, and hopefully that comes around and I can start rehabbing my arm,' Ott said.

l Comments: (319) 398-8256; marc.morehouse@thegazette.com