Copeland was cleared to play in the first semester, based on NCAA rules regarding mid-semester transfers. Without a waiver a player who transfers at the semester break is not eligible until the end of the first semester the following year, with a loss of a year eligibility unless the player was already redshirting. Copeland getting a year back with the medical redshirt was never in doubt, without the medical redshirt he would have ran out of eligibility at the end of last season.