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What the NCAA’s new rule about redshirt means for BYU and its returned LDS missionaries

Jaren Wilkey/BYU

BYU's Zach Katoa carries the ball during spring camp on March 15, 2018. Incoming freshmen like Katoa could benefit from a new rule change (players can now play four games and still redshirt) that was announced by the NCAA this spring.

PROVO — Last month, the NCAA announced a major rule change — football players can participate in up to four games in a season without burning a redshirt year.

For BYU, this redshirt rule change could be a big boon because of the dozens of returned missionaries in the program. Most players return home from missions and need time to return to form both physically and mentally.