Norfolk State University has been stripped of its 2011 MEAC football title, and 97 wins recorded by six Spartan athletic programs for wide-spread certification and compliance errors made by the athletic department between 2008 and 2011.
The Virginia-Pilot reports that NSU’s athletic program will also be placed on probation for two years, and will pay a $5,000 fine for granting clearance to 48 student athletes competing in football, men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, women’s tennis, women’s basketball, men’s track, women’s track, softball, bowling, men’s tennis and baseball.
According to NCAA documents, NSU officials followed an NCAA committee inquiry into compliance irregularities with an internal investigation in 2013, which yielded a self-reported list of compliance violations. That report found that several athletes were allowed to play and receive travel benefits despite not completing a certain amount of credit hours in the prior academic semester to maintain eligibility.
“We were very proactive in addressing the situation,” (Norfolk State Athletic Director Marty) Miller said. The NCAA “felt we were very honest. We weren’t hiding anything. It was just an error.”
