Sources have informed The Michigan Insider that Ole Miss has issued its latest, and likely final response to Shea Patterson’s appeal to the NCAA for immediate eligibility.

Michigan submitted the appeal on Patterson’s behalf in late February, and after a period of review the NCAA forwarded it to Ole Miss. At that point, Ole Miss was to issue one of three responses; support the appeal, remain neutral, or object to it. Based on numerous reports detailing misleading statements to recruits and the public apology it made to former coach Houston Nutt in settling his defamation suit, many thought a neutral stance was the likely outcome. Ole Miss, however, chose to lodge a formal objection on March 28th based on its disagreement with Patterson’s account of his reasons for transferring. Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork attempted to justify that decision in an April 10th statement to USA Today’s Dan Wolken.

“We would not oppose a waiver of the year in residence requirement based on a legitimate reason for any student-athlete who wants to transfer from Ole Miss,” Bjork said. “So the waiver in question, the way it was written, we had no choice, but to respond the way that we did and anyone who left our program, we wish them the best academically and athletically, and at this point it’s not really our matter. It’s an NCAA and Michigan matter at this point.”

The objection prompted the NCAA to ask Patterson pointed questions about the reasons behind his transfer. His response letter was then sent back to the NCAA, and the NCAA then forwarded it to Ole Miss for another round of “support -- remain neutral -- or object.”

Sources informed the Michigan Insider this afternoon that Ole Miss filed its latest response with the NCAA yesterday. And while the initial objection was not rescinded, no additional objection was issued.

“They said (Patterson’s reply to the questions) didn’t ‘differ materially from the first submission,’ and because of that they had nothing additional to add,” said a source that has reviewed the Ole Miss letter. “They worded it in a way that could be interpreted as them maintaining their prior stance, but it definitely came across as a white flag of sorts. They said, ‘the University would not oppose immediate eligibility for Shea Patterson based on legitimate grounds.’ That they didn’t further argue the illegitimacy of Shea’s grounds by specifically addressing his response should be seen as a concession.”

Whether the NCAA sees it that way remains to be seen. There is still no word on a when a decision will be rendered.

Stay tuned to The Michigan Insider on the latest in the Shea Patterson appeal in the days and weeks to come.