Boulder, CO (My Sportsbook) - University of Colorado wide receiver Jeremy Bloom has decided to appeal a decision by the NCAA which rendered the world champion skier ineligible to play college football.

The NCAA Tuesday denied Bloom's request to continue to compete for the Buffaloes while also collecting endorsement money to support his pro skiing career. Bloom, who has been battling the organization for the last two years, originally told family members he did not want to go through the process again, but changed his mind.

"I owe it to my teammates, my coaches, and myself, to fight this to the end," Bloom said from Santiago, Chile, where he is currently training with the U.S. Ski Team.

Bloom, a former World Cup champion in freestyle moguls, started accepting endorsements last winter to fund the costs of his training for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

NCAA student-athletes are not allowed to accept endorsement money from any sport, although it is permissible to receive a salary in a professional sport and still maintain collegiate eligibility in another sport. Skiing has no such salary arrangement, so the only way Bloom was able to continue funding his training was to start taking endorsements, the standard for the sport.

The appeal is expected to be heard by the NCAA committee sometime next week. Colorado's first game is September 4 against Colorado State.

Bloom caught 22 passes for 356 yards and a touchdown for the Buffaloes last season.