Nyzier Fourqurean's dream of playing this season isn't dead but it's on life support

Luke Fickell finally sat down with the media to address the Nyzier Fourqurean situation, and Fickell still thinks there is a chance for Fourqurean to play this season. Not a great chance, but still a chance, and he has a case for why that is. Starting with the fact that Wisconsin is filing an appeal on Fourqurean's behalf, and there's a chance the NCAA will grant it. Here's why...

Wisconsin filed an appeal with the NCAA on behalf of CB Nyzier Fourqurean

Luke Fickell said some interesting things about the process and why the dream of Fourqurean playing this season isn't dead. The United States Appeals Court did overturn the Wisconsin courts' decision to allow Fourqurean to play, but with the caveat that they didn't want the matter to go to trial. According to Fickell, it was, "We suggest that you guys [NCAA and Wisconsin] work this out."

Fickell went on to say that he wants to tell the NCAA that Fourqurean isn't trying to change the landscape of college football, but it's an individual case. He thinks the NCAA has been so harsh about it all because of how much they've been "hammered" the last three years with cases and appeals. It's a mess, and Wisconsin isn't trying to add to the mess, but they want to do what's right by this specific player.

"I just hope they sit down with him and give him an opportunity to express and look at his appeal in a different way and we’ll see where it goes from there."

Luke Fickell

The question quickly becomes: The season is almost here. Can he play while they appeal? What does this mean for the next few weeks and the opening game of the season? Fickell wasn't sure either, but they have to develop a plan for what it looks like if the NCAA continues to hold the line and say, "No!"

Wisconsin will hold out hope but it's a slim hope and it will depend on the goodwill of the NCAA.