Norfolk State’s 2011 MEAC football championship– the only one in school history– is now history. The NCAA has placed NSU on two-years probation and taken 97 wins away from several of the school’s athletics programs after it self-reported athletic certification violations dating back to 2008.
The infractions continued through 2011, and were discovered by the school in 2012.
The institution failed to correctly apply NCAA progress-toward-degree legislation over four academic years,” according to the NCAA. “As a result, the institution allowed 48 student-athletes in multiple sports to compete and receive travel expenses related to competition while ineligible.”
A total of 23 wins were taken from the football team, including nine wins from the football team’s 9-3 season in 2011 under former head coach Pete Adrian. A total of 19 former football student-athletes were involved. Nine sports were involved in the violations but three did not end up losing any wins.
“We were very proactive in addressing the situation,” NorfolkState AD Marty Miller said via the Virginian Pilot. The NCAA “felt we were very honest. We weren’t hiding anything.
“It was just an error.”
The infraction will not bring about poststeason bans, however, and the school has hired an eligibility specialist to work with the registrar and has changed the procedures for certifying that its athletes are eligibile.
This is really sad. I hate that the 2011 football championship had to be vacated. Our HBCUs need to step up their compliance game.