The NCAA has placed South Carolina State University on one-year probation. This follows a series of compliance violations related to the maintenance of squad lists and ineligible participation in its programs. These infractions mainly involve the women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and football teams. The probationary status will not impede the university’s ability to compete in postseason events.
The situation arose when SC State athletics administrators self-reported numerous infractions during the fall of 2022. This proactive move prompted an extensive investigation by the NCAA enforcement staff, with which the administration, coaches, and athletics officials fully cooperated. The investigation ultimately led to a final Negotiated Resolution Agreement between SC State and the NCAA.
Compliance Issues
According to the negotiated resolution, several key violations were identified:
1. Squad List Maintenance: The university failed to maintain and submit accurate squad lists for 14 sports during the 2021-22 academic year.
2. Ineligible Participants: There were multiple instances of ineligible athletes participating in competitions:
- An ineligible player was identified on the women’s basketball team during the 2021-22 season.
- The Bulldog football team also fielded two ineligible athletes; one undergraduate player was enrolled in only nine credit hours instead of the required 12, and a graduate student participated while enrolled in just six credit hours, falling short of the required nine.
- Additionally, an ineligible player competed on the women’s soccer team in 2022.
3. Non-Cooperation: A former athletics staff member did not cooperate with the NCAA enforcement staff during a separate inquiry into the men’s basketball program. This violation occurred after the staff member had left the university and was not part of the negotiated agreement.
Notably, SC State and the NCAA acknowledged that the eligibility violations stemmed from complications arising from a ransomware attack that significantly disrupted the university’s information technology systems and automated processes. Both are essential for verifying student-athlete eligibility.
Resolution
As part of the agreed-upon sanctions, SC State University will face the following penalties:
- A one-year probation period.
- A financial penalty of $10,000.
- A reduction of 2.5% in scholarship and grant-in-aid allocations for women’s basketball, football, and women’s soccer during the 2024-25 academic year.
- A public reprimand and censure will be made official by releasing the negotiated resolution agreement.
- The vacation (or revocation) of team and individual records associated with the affected sports during the time in which ineligible athletes participated.
