A Tucson businessman has started a petition drive to get Arizona men's basketball player Joseph Blair, now benched, back on the team.

Hernando Solis said he hopes to collect between 100,000 and 300,000 signatures in the next two to three weeks to have Blair declared eligible to play.

Blair, a 6-foot-10, 265-pound center, was leading the team in scoring and rebounding when he was declared academically ineligible to compete following the Arizona State game Jan. 10. He failed to meet Arizona Board of Regents requirements that student-athletes maintain a 2.0 grade point average to compete.

The petition says, "Recognizing Joseph Blair's contributions to our community, we hereby petition The University of Arizona and The Arizona Board of Regents to give Joseph Blair one last chance to make up his class assignment and restore his athletic eligibility."

Solis said he was moved to help Blair after seeing Blair and his mother serve dinner at a local Salvation Army last semester. He said Blair's contributions to the community, university and team warranted another chance.

Solis said he was in contact with several fraternities and sororities on campus as well as local businesses in an effort to get signatures.

Jolene Silverthorn, a junior accounting and finance major and president of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, said Solis had contacted her about the petition. Silverthorn said she would present the idea to the 130 sorority members at their weekly meeting Monday night.

"It's up to the people in the chapter to decide if they want to sign it," she said.

Brandon Keenan, a business management senior and president of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, said Solis had put signs up at the fraternity, but that he did not plan to bring the matter up at the fraternity's weekly meeting.

Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood was unavailable for comment.