The NCAA has placed Morehouse College on probation for the next three years for major violations of NCAA legislation involving the school’s football, cross-country, basketball, golf and baseball.
According to the NCAA Infractions Committee, Morehouse committed major infractions when, during a four-year period from 2010 to 2014 “failed to properly certify the eligibility of 29 student-athletes, causing them to compete in 323 contests and receive travel expenses for 169 contests while ineligible.”
The violations centered around the institution’s failure to properly certify student-athletes’ progress toward degree requirements and good academic standing, the NCAA said.
The case also included a secondary violation involving improper signing of financial aid documents.
The investigation also found that from 2004 through 2014, the athletics department “did not provide NCAA rules education to staff members from other departments and offices who were involved in the eligibility certification process.”
In addition to the penalties, the school will be placed on three years of probation until 2018 and be fined $5,000.
Morehouse must vacate all wins in which ineligible student athletes competed and “develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation to instruct the coaches, the faculty athletics representative, all athletics department personnel and all institution staff members with responsibility for the certification of student-athletes’ eligibility for admission, financial aid, practice or competition.”
Since the Morehouse agreed to the factual findings and violations, as well as the additional penalties prescribed by the committee beyond its own self-imposed sanctions, there is no opportunity to appeal.
