Well I guess Army, Navy, Air Force, and the rest just got a little less competitive in their respective college conferences with this ruling. It will stop most of the higher caliber recruits from committing once they know there is no chance of (the) pro ball (dream) immediately after graduation. Extremely doubtful in this day and age a team takes a 2 yr flier on any player, especially one that'll be out of regular competition during the time away.
Personally, I'm fine with that. I really don't want men and women being recruited by the service academies to play sports. I want sports to be a sideline, something that is done to foster competition, NOT a reason to be there. It should be athletics and sports to build strength, agility and teamwork, NOT to win trophies.
The military academies exist to turn young men and women into the officers who will provide the "Leadership by Example" that will teach, motivate and inspire those who serve under them and who will provide the tactical acumen and abilities if and when ordered into harm's way by our National Command Authority.
Football, while arguably the greatest game ever created, must never be the reason why any young man chooses to attend one of the military academies, nor must it be the reason why the academies recruit any young man. The same goes for any other sport. The academies must set as their recruiting goal the best and brightest that our nation has to offer. Nothing less should be acceptable.
I look forward every year to the Army/Navy game. As a former Navy Aircrewman, my heart bleeds blue & gold. But in the end, it's still just a game, and as I have said, it must never be the reason why an academy exists, nor why it recruits young men. Football must always remain in secondary importance to the military academies. To elevate it higher does a disservice not just to those young men and women who attend them, but to our nation as well.
Still and all.......