HBCU Alabama State University has received a Level I-Mitigated NCAA infractions ruling in a case that appears connected to Washington Commanders running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt.
The NCAA prescribed three years of probation and a financial penalty of $30,000. Alabama State must also pay one percent of its football program budget.
ASU accepted the decision and said it will not appeal. However, the HBCU strongly disputed both the classification and what it called unequal treatment compared with the University of Arizona.
“The Committee’s reduction confirms what we have maintained from the outset — this case was improperly elevated,” Alabama State Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable said. “The underlying conduct, tied to the former Sports Information Director and head coach, simply does not justify placement among the most severe cases in collegiate athletics.”
The NCAA case centered on competition statistics from the 2019 Alabama State football season. ASU agreed that a former sports information director altered one athlete’s statistics on the school’s website. The employee allegedly acted at the direction of the former head football coach.
Neither the university’s statement nor the public case description names the athlete. Still, the details point directly toward Croskey-Merritt and the eligibility dispute that ended his 2024 season at Arizona.
Disputed Alabama State statistics followed Croskey-Merritt
Croskey-Merritt began his college career at Alabama State in 2019. The university maintained that he competed in four games during his freshman season, allowing him to use a redshirt.
Other statistical records credited him with appearances in as many as eight games. Reports later indicated that another Alabama State running back wore Croskey-Merritt’s jersey number during part of that season. That created conflicting participation records.
The Montgomery native played four seasons at Alabama State before transferring to New Mexico. He rushed for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Lobos in 2023.
Croskey-Merritt then transferred to Arizona, which certified him to compete in 2024. He produced 106 rushing yards and a touchdown against New Mexico in the Wildcats’ season opener.
Arizona held him out for the remainder of the season after new information raised questions about his 2019 participation record. He later entered the 2025 NFL Draft, and Washington selected him in the seventh round.
The NCAA hearing produced another notable finding. According to Alabama State, the committee found insufficient evidence to hold the former head coach personally responsible for directing the statistical alteration.
Donald Hill-Eley served as Alabama State’s head football coach during the 2019 season. However, the university’s statement did not identify the former coach involved in the proceeding.
Alabama State challenges NCAA disparity
Alabama State argued that Arizona received far more favorable treatment despite certifying the athlete’s eligibility and gaining the competitive benefit.
According to ASU, Arizona received a Level III violation and a $500 fine. Alabama State neither certified the athlete for the 2024 season nor benefited from his appearance against New Mexico.
“The certifying institution received a minor infraction, while Alabama State was assigned one of the NCAA’s most serious classifications,” ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. said. “We believe the standards should be applied consistently across all institutions.”
ASU emphasized that the case involved one employee. It did not include an allegation of failure to monitor or lack of institutional control.
The HBCU has since revised its statistical-reporting protocols and added postgame reviews. It also enhanced auditing procedures and compliance education.
Alabama State will now begin its three-year probationary period. The ruling formally closes an institutional case, but it also adds a new chapter to the unusual eligibility saga that cost Jacory Croskey-Merritt nearly his entire final college season.