Memphis discovers cost to fight NCAA beyond James Wiseman eligibility may be outrageous

North Carolina fought the NCAA to show that its statutes did not cover the academic accuracy that had existed for years in the university’s African and African-American Studies department. When the case was over the Tar Heels they faced not a single penalty, not even the loss of their LA privileges.

Missouri cooperated with an NCAA investigation into whether one of the academic teachers who worked with the players had provided inappropriate assistance to twelve student-athletes and was banned from participating in a bowl.

The message many college athletes received from confronting these two cases was simple: If you have a problem with the NCAA, it’s better to fight. This perception was, in fact, too simplistic, a lesson the Memphis Tiger learned most painfully on Wednesday afternoon.

They had been informed of their delusion in playing James Wiseman in many games, after the NCAA had warned that “likely” was not eligible for competition had a serious immediate price and possibly a more detrimental cost to the future.

It will serve a suspension of twelve games – nine games as determined by the dollar amount of the extra bonus considered by the NCAA to have been received by current Tigers coach Penny Hardaway, plus three additional games as punishment for appearing in the top three. games of the season. Also, Wiseman will have to pay $ 11,500 in financial aid to a charity to recover his eligibility, a requirement he can fulfill on a tranche plan.

MORE: Donation costs can be tough for Wiseman

It was a stunning result, a Memphis immediately committed to appeal. “Based on the background of the case, the circumstances of the case and other mitigating factors, the University will appeal this decision immediately,” a statement from the Memphis sports department read. “We expect a fairer and fairer solution, and we will exhaust all avenues on James’ behalf.”

It may also not be the end of this issue. According to Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated, the NCAA is most likely threatening a lawsuit against the Memphis Athletics – largely based on facts that have been proven: that Hardaway paid $ 11,500 to the Wiseman family for moving expenses. was considered a Tigers’ booster for a $ 1 million donation he made to the athletic department nearly a decade earlier.

One might think that the alleged offense is being cleared by Wiseman’s “payback” and suspending 12 games, but that would be wrong.

It is something that happens a lot when you try to follow the logic of NCAA jurisprudence, and that may have been what led to the arrogance displayed in Memphis’ original statements in support of Wiseman’s lawsuit brought against the NCAA for ordering and ruling. to play him in games against Illinois-Chicago and Oregon.

On the day of the UIC game, university president David Rudd and his athletic director, Laird Veatch, expressed their support for Wiseman. Veatch, who started his job in October, even said in his statement: “It is clear to me here soon that the Memphis will stand up and fight for each other and for what is right and I am proud standing with them. “

This sounds better to fans at the FedEx forum than at the NCAA headquarters.

When Wiseman chose to drop his case against the NCAA a week ago, it seemed that there was an approach between the two sides. He had hired a reputable legal team with a history of improbable wins, so abandoning the suit seemed to indicate that the NCAA was willing to make a deal on Wiseman’s eligibility.

This is not an agreement. This is like a player who has been shot in the face again.

He will not be allowed to play against South Florida until January 12 without successful appeal. He will miss games against Ole Miss, NC State, Tennessee Georgia and Wichita State. If there were no costume and no order and no cheerleaders from Memphis costumes, at least it would have been in a Tigers outfit before Christmas and would not have missed any American sports conference.

And there may have been no threats to NCAA enforcement as a result of the circumstances that jeopardized Wiseman’s eligibility.

Want to win an NCAA tournament? OKAY. That sounds cool. Better to come armed with a case that can stick.

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