The NCAA has denied that it ruled six Wofford players ineligible for receiving impermissible benefits that reportedly were worth something in the range of $84-108, which was originally reported by Jeff Goodman of Field of 68.
The situation, revolving around the players temporarily using their meal plan while living in off-campus housing, reportedly resulted in head coach Dwight Perry and associate head coach Tysor Anderson both being fired last week.
According to Goodman’s report, the players in question were told they would be placed in upperclassmen dorms at Wofford over the summer. Instead, the players—including five transfer juniors—were put in underclassmen dorms.
“That promise was not kept,” Mark Peper, who represents four of the players, told Goodman. “Coach Anderson, who has always looked out for the players best interests, asked them if they wanted to keep their current dorm assignment or rent an apartment off campus and pay for it themselves. They chose the latter, and Coach Anderson properly informed administration of their plan to do so.”
The players were reportedly deemed ineligible by the NCAA for using their meal plans off campus, per Peper, but not before they had already broken their leases to remain eligible on Sept. 3.
“To penalize the student athletes for what can only be described as the college’s failure to properly communicate with coaching staff is completely unfair,” Peper said, “and while the college and I fully expect the NCAA to swiftly reinstate them, the damage has been done.”
The players also support both Perry and Anderson being reinstated after their firings. Because players have a 30-day window to hit the transfer portal after a firing, it’s possible that a number of players could do so in protest, potentially leaving Wofford without enough players to field a team this year.
Assistant coach Drew Gibson is operating as the interim head coach.