NCAA report confirms non-compliance in SC State University sports

University Athletics negotiates penalties for violations related to the maintenance of squad lists and ineligible competition in the women’s soccer, women’s basketball, and football programs.

The SC State University athletics division has been placed on a one-year probation for NCAA rules violations related to the maintenance of squad lists for 14 sports and ineligible competition in its women’s basketball, women’s soccer, and football programs.  The probation status does not affect the ability of SC State athletic teams to participate in post-season play.

In the fall of 2022, SC State University athletics administrators self-reported infractions, prompting an investigation by the NCAA. The administration, as well as athletics administrators and coaches, cooperated with the NCAA enforcement staff to complete the investigation.  Subsequently, in accordance with NCAA protocol, the University entered into a final Negotiated Resolution Agreement with the NCAA enforcement staff.  Click here to review.

Per the negotiated resolution, the University agreed that:

• The University failed to maintain and provide squad lists for 14 sports in the 2021-22 academic year;
• An ineligible student-athlete on the women’s basketball team participated in contests in 2021-22;
• Two ineligible student athletes on the Bulldog football team participated in contests in 2021-22. (One undergraduate player was enrolled in nine credit hours instead of the required 12 hours and one graduate student was enrolled in six credit hours instead of the required nine hours);
• An ineligible student-athlete on the women’s soccer team participated in contests in 2022; and
• A former athletics staff member failed to cooperate with the enforcement staff during a separate NCAA inquiry involving the men’s basketball team. This violation occurred after the staff member’s separation from the University and has no bearing on the negotiated agreement between the NCAA and SC State.

SC State University and the enforcement staff agreed that the eligibility violations in this case occurred after an extensive ransomware attack that adversely impacted the institution’s information technology and automated processes; those typically used by coaching staff and compliance officers to confirm student-athlete eligibility components.

Pursuant to NCAA by-laws regulating penalties for such infractions, SC State University has agreed to the following mitigated penalties:

1. One year of probation
2. Fines totaling $10,000 
3. Scholarship/grant-in-aid reduction of 2.5% in women’s basketball, 2.5% in football, and 2.5% in women’s soccer during the 2024-25 academic year
4. Public reprimand and censure through the release of the negotiated resolution agreement between the University and the NCAA
5. Vacation (revocation) of team and individual records associated with the football, women’s basketball, and women’s soccer competitions in which ineligible student-athletes participated during 2021-22