The official website of Ole Miss athletics announced Friday that Rebels quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has won his appeal against an NCAA, overturning a ruling which had previously required him to sit out a season after recently transferring from the University of Oregon:

Ole Miss quarterback Jeremiah Masoli may compete immediately, according to a decision today by the NCAA Division I Subcommittee for Legislative Relief. The subcommittee’s decision overturns the staff decision that required Masoli to sit out the 2010-2011 season.

Masoli had previously requested a waiver from the NCAA in order to use his last year of eligibility to compete for the Rebels this season - despite having obtained his undergraduate degree at Oregon.

On its official website, the NCAA confirmed the ruling reversal with the following statement:

Subcommittee allows Masoli to compete immediately

University of Mississippi football student-athlete Jeremiah Masoli may compete immediately, according to a decision today by the NCAA Division I Subcommittee for Legislative Relief. The subcommittee’s decision overturns the staff decision to grant the graduate student transfer waiver with the condition that Masoli could not compete until the 2011-12 academic year.

According to NCAA rules, created by member schools, football graduate student-athletes must receive a waiver in order to compete if they enroll at a university other than where they received their undergraduate degree.

Every NCAA waiver process includes a staff decision first and an opportunity for the school to appeal that decision to an independent committee. This group is comprised of representatives of NCAA member schools and conferences. Throughout both stages of the waiver process, the case is reviewed and evaluated based on the specific facts of that particular case, as disclosed during the review process. In this case, the staff, subcommittee and school all acknowledged the complexity of the waiver request.

The NCAA staff received the waiver request from Ole Miss on Aug. 13 and received the final piece of information from the school on the evening of Aug. 30. After considering that final piece of information, the NCAA staff issued its decision the morning of Aug. 31. The appeal decision

Thanks to the successful appeal, Masoli will suit up against Jacksonville State this Saturday though it’s uncertain if he will start at quarterback for the Rebels. Nathan Stanley is the other possible starter at QB for Ole Miss, though both figure to play on Saturday.