An NCAA investigation stemming from several violations has resulted in sanctions being placed on the Jackson State athletic program.
The violations, which include the baseball and football programs, predate the new regime under Deion Sanders. According to JSU, the “violations happened during the 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-2018 calendar years.”
College sports’ governing body announced that “34 student-athletes practiced and competed before receiving final certification from the NCAA Eligibility Center” and that Jackson State failed to monitor its certification process during this period.
Additionally, a former football internal operations staff member violated recruiting rules when she impermissibly provided $300 to the godmother of a football prospect. The former staff member also impermissibly arranged for tutoring to assist the prospect in completing courses needed to be eligible after transferring.
As a result of these violations, the following penalties were assessed to Jackson State.
- Two years of probation.
- A fine of $5,000.
- A 2% reduction in baseball scholarship equivalencies from the annual limit of 11.7 equivalencies during the 2021-22 academic year and a 2.5% reduction in football scholarship equivalencies from the annual limit of 63 equivalencies during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years.
- The football program must serve a one-week ban on unofficial visits in each of January, February, March and April 2021.
- A reduction of four football official paid visits during the 2021-22 academic year.
- The football program must serve a one-week ban of all recruiting communication contacts and off-campus recruiting by the entire football staff with any prospects, including transfers, in each of May and June 2021.
- A vacation of records of contests in which student-athletes participated while ineligible. The university must provide a written report containing the contests impacted to the NCAA media coordination and statistics staff within 14 days of the public release of the decision.
“Jackson State University is committed to a culture of compliance, and the actions we took reflect that commitment,” said JSU Vice President and Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson. “I will like to commend my compliance staff and let the record show we responded quickly, investigated vigorously, immediately self-reported the violations, and independently took decisive corrective steps.”
JSU must allow undergo enhanced compliance tailing and pay a $5,000 fine.
