The NCAA has handed down its ruling in one of college football’s strangest eligibility sagas—and while the case is technically closed, the debate is just getting started.
Alabama State was hit with a mitigated Level 1 violation tied to the eligibility controversy surrounding former running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
The penalties include three years of probation and a $30,000 fine, plus an additional one percent of the program’s budget.
Alabama State is making it clear—it does not agree with how the NCAA drew its lines.
A timeline that only got stranger
To understand the frustration, you have to rewind to Croskey-Merritt’s winding college career.
An unranked recruit in 2019, the 5-foot-11, 208-pound running back began at Alabama State, where he spent multiple seasons building his résumé. But even those early years became a point of contention. Official NCAA records show he played eight games as a freshman—enough to burn a year of eligibility. Alabama State, however, maintained he only appeared in four games and should have been granted a redshirt.
Here’s where things got messy.
According to Alabama State, Croskey-Merritt’s jersey was reassigned after his season ended, and another player wore his number in subsequent games. That led to stat discrepancies, with carries being credited to Croskey-Merritt that allegedly were not his.
After transferring to New Mexico in 2023, Croskey-Merritt exploded onto the scene with 1,190 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns—a breakout season that put him on the radar of Power Five programs.
He entered the transfer portal again, committing to Arizona, briefly flipping to Ole Miss, then returning to the Wildcats. Arizona ultimately cleared him to play.
Croskey-Merritt rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown in Arizona’s 2024 season opener—ironically against his former team. Then, just as quickly as he arrived, he disappeared. Arizona held him out the rest of the season due to renewed eligibility concerns.
The Washington Commanders later selected him in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he delivered a strong rookie season with 805 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Alabama State pushes back on NCAA
The NCAA concluded that a former Alabama State sports information director altered statistics on the school’s website, allegedly at the direction of a former head coach. Both individuals are no longer with the program.
Meanwhile, Arizona—equally tied to the situation—received a far lighter slap: a $500 fine for a Level 3 violation.
Still, Alabama State argues the punishment doesn’t fit the impact.
“The certifying institution received a minor infraction, while Alabama State was assigned one of the NCAA’s most serious classifications,” the university stated. “We believe the standards should be applied consistently across all institutions.”
