FCS power Charleston Southern is preparing for this week’s big matchup against Florida State. As if the thought of having to stop Florida State was not daunting enough for the overmatched program, they face the possibility of having to do so with at least 30 players facing a suspension due to alleged improper use of their book money.
Charleston Southern running back Ben Robinson shared the news on his Facebook account Thursday night, saying at least 30 of his teammates and he were notified about possible misuse of money given to players to purchase textbooks at the student bookstore. Because many players ended up having money left over from their book stipend, Robinson claims book store employees advised them to purchase other goods and supplies since they would not receive any leftover funds from the stipend. Taking that advice from the student book store employees, many players purchased additional supplies for the semester, like binders. This, as you might have guessed, could be considered a violation of NCAA rules.
From Charleston Southern running back Ben Robinson's Facebook page. pic.twitter.com/mXpov7b4ec
— Ariya Massoudi (@AriyaMassoudi) September 9, 2016
While the situation is currently investigated, Charleston Southern is at risk of having to vacate any games that could conceivably see a player in violation of the NCAA rules steps foot on the field. Because of that, players are being given a choice to sit out this weekend’s game against Florida State (a very likely loss that would do no harm) or the next game against a conference opponent (which could later have to be vacated if they won). It is a tough decision, especially for any player, like Robinson, who is from Tallahassee or nearby.
So who is to blame here, is the primary question. Typically when it comes to NCAA violations, the blame has to be pit on the player. This situation, however, feels different. Perhaps this should have been handled differently from the start. Now is a good time to check the timeline of NCAA rules expert John Infante.
Which has been the best practice for almost a decade since all those major violations for extra book money. https://t.co/6adLgexToF
— John Infante (@John_Infante) September 9, 2016
No, because books are weird in equivalency calculations. No matter what they cost, they count as $800. https://t.co/ylLUPqi9yr
— John Infante (@John_Infante) September 9, 2016
Based on the facts, this is 100% on the administration, which is why a suspension seems harsh. https://t.co/euY0VKMRIn
— John Infante (@John_Infante) September 9, 2016
This seems like it might have been an honest mistake, and the players may not be entirely to blame here. You can’t blame the store employees for not knowing the rules, but you can blame someone in the athletics department to make sure the players know the rules about the book purchases. As a result of a system failure that may have been nothing more than a mild oversight without the intent to skirt around the rules, here’s hoping Charleston Southern players are not held accountable and don’t have to miss any playing time.
Go easy on them, NCAA. Florida State’s going to rough them up enough.
[FSU News]
