North Carolina Central University (“university”) received the final decision of the NCAA Committee on Infractions on May 30, 2018, regarding the NCAA academic miscertification of 22 student-athletes in seven sports from 2012-13 through 2014-15.
The NCAA enforcement staff significantly noted in its report that “the violations were unintentional and the institution otherwise maintained appropriate certification, rules education, and monitoring policies and procedures.”
The miscertifications, including student-athletes from men’s and women’s cross country and track & field, baseball, men’s basketball and football, were discovered during an NCAA Academic Performance Program (APP) data review initiated in September 2016. The university’s self-reported violations determined that the involved student-athletes could have been eligible, but for an administrative error during the certification process.
The case was resolved through the NCAA Summary Disposition process, a collaborative effort in which the university and NCAA enforcement staff conduct a joint investigation of the issues and submit agreed-upon findings to the NCAA Committee on Infractions. The investigation confirmed that the miscertifications were unintentional. The university acknowledged that there was significant reliance on manual processing across campus departments at the time. Since then, the university has invested in and implemented the appropriate technology that will prevent future miscertifications from occurring again.
Following the Committee on Infractions initial response, the university made an appeal to the NCAA and believed strongly in its case to challenge the results. The university plans to submit another appeal to the Committee on Infractions Appeals Committee.
The penalties imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions in this case include:
- Two (2) years probation from May 30, 2018, through May 29, 2020.
- A vacation of wins in men’s track & field, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, women’s track and field, baseball, men’s basketball and football in contests in which the involved student-athletes competed while ineligible.
- Attendance at NCAA Regional Rules Seminars (self-imposed by the university).
- Completion of an internal academic audit by the end of the 2017-18 academic year (self-imposed by the university).
- A $5,000 fine (self-imposed by the university).
The penalties imposed by the Committee on Infractions did not include any additional competition penalties, scholarship reductions or recruiting restrictions.
Courtesy: NCCU Athletics
