North Carolina AD Bubba Cunningham: NCAA made 'maddening, frustrating, and wrong decision' on Tez Walker waiver

Thursday, North Carolina received the final ruling from the NCAA on Tez Walker’s waiver. It was denied, meaning he will sit out the 2023 season.

That elicited a strong response from UNC officials.

Athletics director Bubba Cunningham was among the group to respond to the denial, issuing a statement criticizing the decision. Considering the change of leadership with Charlie Baker coming in as NCAA president, he said he was hoping for a different perspective on Walker’s situation.

“The NCAA had an opportunity to demonstrate that this is a new membership organization by using common sense, reason and compassion to determine the eligibility of Tez Walker,” Cunningham said. “On eight different occasions, the organization had the opportunity to demonstrate it can make sound and reasonable decisions in the best interest of student-athletes based on individual circumstances.

“Instead, the NCAA made a maddening, frustrating and wrong decision — for Tez, for college football and for college athletics.”

Walker started his career at NC Central, but never played a game there as a freshman because the program’s season was canceled due to COVID-19. He then transferred to Kent State in 2021 and played two years there before again entering the transfer portal and heading to North Carolina.

Cunningham made note in his statement that Walker never played at NC Central and both of his former schools were in favor of giving him immediate eligibility under the circumstances. Additionally, mental health needs were part of his case and he didn’t try for a waiver to “extend his clock” to keep playing in college.

Instead, he will have to sit out the remainder of the season.

The NCAA previously said it was cracking down on multi-time transfer waivers this offseason. This is keeping with that way of thinking as the NCAA granted 18% of at least 81 waiver requests, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel. Some of their waiver decisions garnered criticism, and Walker’s situation led On3’s Andy Staples to call for a “Vice President of Common Sense” within the NCAA.

“Seeing more than 50 student-athletes transfer to one school or watching a starting quarterback play for his fourth university in his sixth year doesn’t make sense to many,” Cunningham said. “Arbitrarily prohibiting a student-athlete from competition – when that student-athlete has only played two seasons of football in the last five years at one school and wants to play closer to home for legitimate family and mental health reasons – does not make sense.

“This decision undermines the fair treatment of student-athletes and further erodes the public’s confidence in our national governing body. Despite the NCAA’s failure, we will continue to support Tez Walker and his family.”

Mack Brown’s statement on the NCAA’s decision on Tez Walker: ‘Shame on you, NCAA’

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown also blasted the NCAA in a lengthy statement. He expressed a similar sentiment to Cunningham, pointing out the reasons why Walker should have been granted eligibility.

“I don’t know that l’ve ever been more disappointed in a person, a group of people, or an institution than I am with the NCAA right now,” Brown said. “It’s clear that the NCAA is about process and it couldn’t care less about the young people it’s supposed to be supporting. Plain and simple, the NCAA has failed Tez and his family and I’ve lost all faith in its ability to lead and govern our sport. They’ve messed so many things up as it relates to college football, and now their failures have negatively impacted the life of one of our own.”

Brown also noted Walker’s mental health struggles he dealt with in college, which was a part of his decision to move closer to home at North Carolina. Given the NCAA’s decision, he argued the organization didn’t take that into consideration

“How dare they ever speak about mental health and student-athlete welfare again,” Brown said of the NCAA. “We’ve got complete rosters overhauled through the transfer portal, players playing in their 8th year of college, players playing at their fourth school, and the list goes on. Yet, Tez Walker, who has only played football at one school, isn’t eligible. It makes no sense and it never will.

“Moving forward, our Carolina family is strong and we need to wrap our arms around Tez, lift him up, and make sure we continue to do all we can to support him. He’s continued to work, on the field and off, and remained an amazing member of our program throughout this ordeal. I know that will continue to happen because that’s the kind of person he is. Despite this setback, Tez’s future remains bright and we’ll continue to do everything we can to help him fulfill all of his dreams.

“Shame on you, NCAA. SHAME ON YOU!”