NCAA blocks freestyle skier Jeremy Bloom from collegiate football competitionThe NCAA rejected Jeremy Bloom’s latest request Tuesday, saying that he could no longer play college football while accepting skiing endorsements. Colorado has filed an appeal on the decision, but the setback means the two-sport star will likely have to stick with skiing.

“It’s a sad day, I think,” Colorado coach Gary Barnett said. “I think it’s a really sad day that the NCAA takes a stand like this and can’t be flexible enough and tolerant enough to deal with individual differences. They seem to be situational in some of these things and that’s the way it is.”

“I do plan on going through with the final appeal. I owe it to my teammates, my coaches, and myself, to fight this until the end,” Bloom said in a statement from Santiago, Chile, where he is training with the U.S. Ski Team.

An NCAA committee consisting of five administrators from NCAA schools across the country was expected to hear the appeal in a conference call next week, said Lindsey Babcock, CU’s director of compliance.

Bloom would have until Sept. 6 — two weeks after the start of classes — to re-enroll, Babcock said. Colorado’s first game is Sept. 4 against Colorado State in Boulder.

A champion freestyle skier, Bloom tried to sue the NCAA for not letting him accept endorsement money while training for the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy.

Saying he could no longer afford to train without financial support, Bloom started accepting money from sponsors last winter and had all but given up hope of playing college football when the Colorado Court of Appeals denied his request for an injunction in May.

Bloom’s outlook changed about two weeks ago with a new waiver request that led the NCAA to ask for several more documents from Bloom and the university.

The waiver was believed to be similar to an agreement former Iowa football player Tim Dwight reached with the NCAA in 1999. Dwight played for the Atlanta Falcons during the 1998 NFL season, but was allowed to retain his track eligibility after paying back endorsement money.

The NCAA has said the two cases are different because Dwight stopped receiving endorsement money during the reinstatement process.

Bloom has maintained the only way he can generate enough money to compete is through sponsorships since he does not receive a salary as a professional skier. Under NCAA rules, collegiate athletes are allowed to receive salaries as professionals in other sports but can’t receive endorsement money.

“On matters of amateurism, the colleges and universities in the NCAA have made it clear: Student-athletes are not permitted to endorse products and retain their eligibility,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president for membership services. “Twice Mr. Bloom asked the NCAA whether he could accept endorsements, and twice he was told it was impermissible and would violate NCAA rules. Bloom then pursued options through the Colorado legal system to set aside the NCAA rules. Again, he was told ‘No’ twice by the courts.

“And still, he entered into contracts to endorse products, in violation of NCAA rules.”

Bloom practiced with Colorado the first five days this season before heading to Chile for a camp with the U.S. Ski Team on Sunday. He hoped to return to Boulder if the NCAA ruled in his favor, but will now stay with the ski team.

“I am shocked and saddened by the NCAA’s decision,” Bloom said in a statement through Colorado’s media relations department.

–from AP news services