The Ball State University Athletics Department has identified at least 25 athletes from four sports who violated an NCAA rule that states athletes can only receive textbooks required for their classes, in an investigation that is ongoing.
An investigation by the department discovered improper usage by Ball State of the NCAA's "extra benefits" rule that allows an athlete's textbooks to be covered by a scholarship that also pays for room and board.
Football, men's tennis, women's track and softball were the four sports with athletes in violation, according to a statement released by Ball State. Some of the 25 athletes have already served their suspension this season, but other suspensions will be carried over into next season, athletic director Bubba Cunningham said.
The names of the 25 athletes were not released. Cunningham cited the Family Educational Rights for Privacy Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of a student's education records.
Under NCAA Bylaw 15, athletes may receive financial aid that covers books for required courses. The athletes are given books on loan from the university, and they return the books at the end of the semester.
An athlete with this scholarship picks up his or her books at the bookstore, and the bill is sent to the athletics department. The athletes in violation picked up books for friends and other students, although no money was involved.
Cunningham said while reviewing every Ball State athlete's account -- a normal business review done at the end of every year -- the department noticed some bills higher than normal.
The discovery led Cunningham and others within the department to look into every athlete's account in the past year. The violations are being self-reported by Ball State to the NCAA.
NCAA Bylaw 15 also states that violations under $100 are punishable by losing eligibility only until the athlete repays the money. For violations more than $100, the athlete must repay the money, petition to regain eligibility and sit out a percent of his or her season based on the dollar amount of the violation. Cunningham could not say how many violations were over $100.
Once this type of infraction is found, the NCAA rules state the suspension must be fulfilled immediately.
Some Ball State athletes sat out of competition over the weekend, including some members of the women's track team at the Mid-American Conference championship. Coach Sue Parks did not specify which athletes were in violation.
"We were a part of that, and that was some of what affected us," Parks said. "We're not happy about it, but that's what happens, and we're gonna move
on and move forward. You make mistakes, and you pay the consequences."
Men's tennis player Matt Baccarani also sat out the Cardinals' match against Florida State in the NCAA Men's Tennis Regional.
New procedures for all athletes have already been set in place as a result of the violations. The athletic department worked with university officers in business affairs and representatives from Barnes & Noble, which operates the Ball State bookstore.
The new procedures include prepacking books for athletes, a separate checkout counter set up for athletes and requiring that athletes show schedules when they receive their books.
The changes in policy will also require the athletic department to approve any last-minute scheduling changes by an athlete and require any athlete who previously obtained books inappropriately to submit receipts directly to Dave Land, the Director of Compliance and Eligibility.
Until the changes were made, athletes only had to present their student ID to a bookstore employee to get their books.
More athletes could still be suspended, possibly affecting other sports. Cunningham said the investigation should be over sometime this week, although he couldn't give a more specific timetable.
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