The reported problems at Virginia University of Lynchburg are just not limited to the football program.
This past October, the university was placed on “Accredited-Warning” status by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges (TRACS) and was required to submit a compliance report that was due on December 8 for consideration by the TRACS board for a meeting scheduled in February of 2024.
The TRACS board states the reasons for the change in status were “based on the determination that the institution’s non-compliance with the Accreditation Standards reflects a level of non-compliance that must be corrected by the institution and requires the imposition of a Sanction by the Accreditation Commission. It is a level of non-compliance which, in the professional judgment of the members of the Accreditation Commission, the institution will be able to correct within the timeframe allowable by federal regulations and which the institution has, or can reasonably obtain, the resources needed to correct. Specifically, the Commission found that VUL could not demonstrate compliance with TRACS Standard 11.2 (Financial Operations). ”
This action occurs concurrent to a number of issues within the football program, as alleged by former recruiting staff member and running backs coach Doe Edwards in a recent HBCU Sports report that includes verbal abuse, unfulfilled promises, and charging players fees to report for camp.
For negative reasons, VUL, a private, faith-based HBCU in Lynchburg, Virginia, has become a known commodity in Black College football, offering itself up to NCAA Division I and Division II programs searching for a win. The school is a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association.
Edwards claimed that players and other coaches often had to assist injured players off the field because there was no one else available to help. He also alleged that opponents would often pay their trainers extra to aid VUL’s players.
Records show that VUL received over $6 million from President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan, which provided over $2.7 billion in funding for HBCUs via the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).
If VUL can meet TRACS standards, then the warning status will be rescinded. If not, TRACS has several options, including granting a one-time warning extension for no more than six months, placing the institution under a more severe sanction (probation or show cause) as deemed appropriate — with the total time allowed for demonstrating compliance not to exceed the maximum timeframe allowed, or take adverse action against the institution.
