NCAA said in a statement last Friday that Jackson State University Men's Tennis Former Head Coach committed a violation on NCAA ethical conduct rules after allowing an unqualified student-athlete to compete using an eligible student-athlete's name.
NCAA's decision was issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions Panel, thus, effectuates a ruling putting Jackson State probation until June 30, 2017 for the violations in Level II and III. These violations pertained to the one committed during 2015 first semester, when men's tennis was under Scott Pennington.
The NCAA penalties include: a public rebuke and censure for the Jackson State; a two-year-show-cause order for the ex-coach, that would run until June 30, 2018; and the program is obligated to vacate records of the matches which the ineligible athlete participated in, ClarionLedger wrote. Plus an additional $5,000 fine.
The impermissible assistances were: The ex-coach provided the student-athlete transport from Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport to his residence, where he permitted the student athlete to stopover for two nights; and the ex-coach gave the student-athlete with no less than one meal.
NCAA estimated the value of those assistances for $92.50. Probation was among the core penalties for the Level II violations alongside the fine and the two-year show-cause order.
April 9, 2015 - The case began on when several women's tennis athletes reported to an athletic administrator that Pennington allowed the ineligible student-athlete to participate in practice and in an away contest, which prompted JSU to launch an internal investigation.
Here is a brief timeline for the Jackson State University's NCAA rule-breaking:
July 10, 2015 - JSU turned the results of the internal investigation over to the NCAA enforcement staff.
May 13, 2016 - NCAA's panel suggested penalties for both JSU and Pennington
May 23 and May 26, 2016 - Agreed penalties for JSU and Pennington, respectively.
Aug. 15, 2016 - JSU filing a preliminary report to the Committee on Infractions for forming an educational and compliance program on NCAA legislation for all faculty athletics representatives, athletics department personnel and institution staff members.
May 1, 2017 - The University's required filing of one annual compliance.
This past SWAC season, Jackson State's men's tennis team had won and appeared in the NCAA Tournament lead by Lois Alexis, who was named the conference's Coach of the Year, ClarionLedger added.
