Barry Sanders Says He’s Staying With Cowboys : But Obscure NCAA Rule Would Allow Heisman Winner to Play Elsewhere

Because Oklahoma State is ineligible to play in a football bowl game for the next 3 seasons, Heisman Trophy winner Barry Sanders could play his senior year at any other school he wished to pick next season.

But he said Friday he will stay at Oklahoma State, which was jolted by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn.’s sanctions earlier in the day.

“I’m not switching schools unless some of those coaches will let me play basketball, too,” Sanders joked.

However, Sanders, a junior, said that a lot could happen before March, when he will make his final decision about turning professional or switching schools. He said he was aware of the little-known NCAA rule that would allow him to transfer anywhere and still play his senior season.

NCAA enforcement director David Berst confirmed the possibility that Sanders could transfer and play next season.

Berst said, “There are several who have taken advantage of it, certainly not in large numbers”--and certainly none as prominent as a Heisman Trophy winner.

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The rule, adopted in 1981, says if a student would use up his eligibility before the probation expired, he could transfer without sitting out and losing his next year of eligibility. He would need formal permission from the NCAA, but apparently the only reason permission would be denied would be if the athlete himself was involved in wrongdoing that brought about the sanctions.

It was not immediately clear whether other institutions would need permission from Oklahoma State to recruit Sanders, but the temptation would be strong to go after a player who has already won the Heisman.

The temptation also could be strong for Sanders to skip his final year of collegiate eligibility to apply for this spring’s National Football League draft.

Sanders was in his hometown of Wichita, Kan., Friday, when the NCAA’s action against Oklahoma State was announced.

He told more than 1,500 students packed into the gymnasium at his alma mater, Wichita North High School: “I’ll be at Oklahoma State next year. It’d be nice to sign for all those millions. I’m sure you can appreciate that. That can wait.”

The rally was part of Barry Sanders Day activities at Wichita. School officials retired the North High football jersey numbers worn by Barry and his brother Byron, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards at Northwestern this season.

During a news conference later, Sanders made it clear that his college football plans weren’t irreversible.

When asked why he wouldn’t say he would definitely be back, Sanders replied, “That’s like asking a 3-year-old what he’s going to do for the rest of his life.”

Sanders said he wasn’t ready for the NFL and doubted if the NFL was ready for a 20-year-old college junior.

“It’s fun being in college and I’m not ready to leave that yet,” he said.

Sanders said his father told him: “Don’t worry, the opportunities will be there next year. God has that in store for us.”

The severity of the NCAA penalty against Oklahoma State didn’t surprise Sanders.

“I heard (that) before Coach (Pat) Jones was the head coach, there was a lot of stuff going on,” he said.

But Jimmy Johnson, who left Oklahoma State in May of 1984 for the Miami (Fla.) coaching job, said he was happy there were “no findings of any rule violations by me during my 5 years at Oklahoma State University.”

Sanders said he hadn’t had a chance yet to talk with teammate Hart Lee Dykes about the NCAA investigation and penalty. Dykes, a senior wide receiver, reportedly was the focus of a major portion of the probe.