#FreeArnett

Tennessee Freshmen, DeAnthony Arnett, is seeking a transfer back to a school in Michigan because his father's health has deteriorated. While Tennessee will let him transfer, they won't let him go to the obvious choices, which are Michigan and Michigan State. Arnett released this statement last night:

Coach Dooley has singled two programs that I can’t get an unconditional release to and they are the University of Michigan and Michigan State University. 

He told me I can attend any Mid American Conference school I want and if I wanted to attend either The University of Michigan or Michigan State University I would have to pay for school instead of be on scholarship. I don’t know what’s next. My family can’t afford to pay for school, but my father’s

Dooley is limiting Arnett's ability to go to both a school closer to his father and a school where he can have the same opportunities that he'd have at Tennessee (playing at a BCS conference school). Tennessee has said that they will not release Arnett to any school which Tennessee will play or recruit against. I feel this is disingenuous and that Dooley just doesn't want Arnett to go to another school.

There are probably less schools that Tennesee doesn't recruit against than there are that they do recruit against. Furthermore, the likelihood of Michigan or Michigan State playing Tennessee is very small. This isn't a case where a kid is spurning Tennessee because he doesn't like the program. The fact of the matter is that Arnett needs to be with his family and vice versa.

On the whole, this is just an example of the lack of compassion in college sports. There are a lot of crooked coaches that do what they feel is better for the schools than the kids. Derek Dooley seems to be just one in the long line of soulless SEC coaches that only care about winning and not about the kids they coach.

In short, I am thoroughly disappointed by the actions and decisions of the University of Tennessee and Derek Dooley. This kid should be allowed to be closer to his family so that he can be with his ailing father, no matter what school he goes to.

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As fans of college sports, there's not much we can do but help in spreading this story in order to have justice done. These schools always talk about family values, and when Arnett needs to be with his family, his coaches are letting him down. If you feel strongly about this, join the #FreeArnett movement on Twitter and share this story with your friends.