One week after Livingstone requested that the CIAA forfeit games in which an ineligible player participated, the conference has come up with another solution. The conference has decided to nullify the 18 games which Kyra Crosby participated in this season.
Below is an excerpt from the CIAA’s release:
After reviewing the report, for the purpose of seeding for the 2015 CIAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the conference office will nullify the 18 contests in which the ineligible student-athlete participated. Livingstone will be allowed to participate in the tournament and qualify for regional post-season play. The program will be seeded as 6-4 in the division.
As additional penalties, Livingstone will be disallowed the opportunity to be named division champs and participate in any tie-breaker scenarios.
The CIAA will apply nullification in much the same process as employed by the NCAA (as outlined in Championships Eligibility for 2014-15 – NCAA Division II Principles of Nullification).
Application of the CIAA principles of nullification will result in all contests in which the ineligible student-athlete competed being nullified (win, lose or tie). The process will only penalize Livingstone. The records of Livingstone’s opponents will be unaffected.
Neither the CIAA nor the NCAA recognizes forfeits as an official result.
Unlike forfeits, nullification in its application is a process which seeks to penalize only the offending individual/team or institution while preserving the accomplishments and actual competition results earned by the other teams involved. If selected for regional play, the NCAA will apply NCAA Division II Principles of Nullifications to Livingstone’s results as part of the ranking and selection process.