NCAA Selective Enforcement Showcases Itself Again

We are two weeks into the beginning of KSRCollege.com and if you aren't visiting the site, you are missing out. Our writers have been really strong...so good in fact, it has surprised us a bit. An example is this piece by John Wilmhoff on the ridiculous decision by the NCAA concerning UCONN's Ryan Boatright. Check it out and go to KSRCollege.com for similar work. Last year, the NCAA declared Enes Kanter permanantly ineligible for accepting cash as a teenager while playing for a Turkish club team. Kanter was not given the option of paying back the amount he received and serve a suspension, like the NCAA typically allows, but instead was permanantly banned from playing college basketball. The NCAA maintained that Kanter couldn't pay back the money or sit out games because the money came from a professional team. As long as the dollar amount is $1 or more in excess of what the NCAA determines as living expenses, a student-athlete basketball player is ruled permanantly ineligible if he plays for Kentucky according to NCAA bylaws. Today, the NCAA cleared Ryan Boatright to play at UConn and released the following statement:

University of Connecticut men’s basketball student-athlete Ryan Boatright has been cleared to compete immediately, the NCAA announced today. This situation involves many of the specific concerns expressed by NCAA membership regarding improper third party influence over student-athletes and their families. Specifically, it included more than $8,000 in cash and other impermissible benefits, including a car. These benefits — which are not allowed because they are inconsistent with the principles and values embraced by the NCAA membership — were provided to Mr. Boatright and his mother both before and while he was at UConn. These impermissible benefits were provided by at least two individuals linked to nonscholastic basketball and professional sports. Mr. Boatright was granted limited immunity by the NCAA Committee on Infractions, a committee comprised of NCAA members. The limited immunity allowed him to avoid missing a significant number of games and repaying the impermissible benefits. It was granted in an effort to gather information regarding third party involvement. Limited immunity is an important yet selectively used tool for the enforcement staff to gather information that would not otherwise be available.

In summary, it was determined by the NCAA that the student-athlete basketball player accepted $8,000 and a car from at least two individuals linked to professional sports. Boatright, unlike Kanter, was cleared to play because of limited immunity, an important "yet selectively used" tool to prevent Boatright from missing a significant number of games so that he can repay the impermissable benefits that he received. How nice of those fine folks at the NCAA to "selectively" (as they claim) allow Boatright to play at UConn, but not Enes Kanter to play at Kentucky. Perhaps this calls for another visit by Drew Franklin to the NCAA headquarters to receive further clarification on the selectively used tools to allow athletes to become eligible at UConn and other schools, but not at Kentucky. Follow me on Twitter @wilmhoffKSR