INDIANAPOLIS - Forty-nine Morehead State University student-athletes in nine sports competed while ineligible due to improper eligibility certifications, according to a Division I Committee on Infractions panel.
The violations were discovered by the university through an NCAA Academic Performance Program audit. A new software system used the total number of credit hours earned to determine a student-athlete's progress toward degree, instead of just the hours that applied to a student-athlete's designated degree program. Additionally, the university did not manually calculate the number of hours earned toward a degree to ensure the computerized calculations were correct.
The university's use of the flawed software system to assist in certifying student-athletes led to the improper certification of 48 of the 49 student-athletes over the course of four academic years. The remaining student-athlete was improperly certified due to human error.
Morehead State University will incur no vacation of wins due to this infraction, and the NCAA also found no evidence of lack of institutional control.
Penalties prescribed by the panel include the following:
• Public reprimand and censure for the university.
• One year of probation from Feb. 10, 2017, through Feb. 9, 2018.
• A $5,000 fine (self-imposed by the university).
• Attendance at NCAA Regional Rules Seminars for at least two years by several individuals involved in athletics certifications (self-imposed by the university).
• Complete an Academic Progress Rate audit at the end of the 2017-18 academic year for all student-athletes (self-imposed by the university).
"We remain steadfast in our commitment to academic excellence among all our programs," said Morehead State Director of Athletics
Brian Hutchinson. "While we are disappointed in the results of this report, it is important to note that our coaches and student-athletes did everything they were asked to do. We acknowledge that we have work to do and we are fully committed to making improvements in all areas."
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from NCAA membership and members of the public. The members of the panel who reviewed this case are Michael F. Adams, chancellor, Pepperdine University; Carol Cartwright, chief hearing officer for the panel and president emeritus at Kent State University; Bobby Cremins, former head men's basketball coach at Georgia Tech; Thomas Hill, senior policy advisor to the president of Iowa State University; Jill Pilgrim, attorney in private practice; and David Roberts, special advisor to the president of the University of Southern California.
