NCAA Cites South Carolina State for Eligibility Violations in Three Sports
South Carolina State failed to monitor student-athlete eligibility during the 2021-22 academic year, resulting in four student-athletes in three sports competing while ineligible, according to an agreement released by the Division I Committee on Infractions. The school also agreed that it failed to maintain squad lists for 14 sports over two academic years.
The agreement also covered an unrelated violation that occurred when former men's basketball assistant coach Marcus Sikes failed to cooperate with an investigation into possible recruiting inducements in the men's basketball program.
The school and the enforcement staff agreed that the eligibility violations in this case occurred after an extensive ransomware attack that affected the school's information technology and automated processes. As a result, the school committed violations of full-time enrollment and progress-toward-degree rules by allowing four student-athletes from three sports — women's basketball, football and women's soccer —to compete in 39 contests while ineligible. The school also did not withhold two student-athletes from competition until their eligibility was reinstated.
During the eligibility investigation, the school self-reported potential violations of recruiting rules in the men's basketball program. Enforcement staff attempted to schedule an interview with Sikes about the potential violations, but he did not respond to the enforcement staff's requests and therefore did not meet his obligation to cooperate. Because Sikes' violation occurred after his separation from the school, it does not attach to the school. He did not participate in the negotiated resolution process.
The school and enforcement staff used ranges identified by the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to agree upon Level II-mitigated penalties for the university and Level I-aggravated penalties for Sikes. The decision contains the full list of penalties as approved by the Committee on Infractions, including:
- One year of probation.
- A $5,000 fine, plus a separate $5,000 fine resulting from ineligible participation in a postseason contest in women's basketball.
- A 2.5% reduction in football scholarships during the 2024-25 academic year (to no more than 61 scholarships).
- A 2.5% reduction in women's basketball scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year (to no more than 14 scholarships).
- A 2.5% reduction in women's soccer scholarships for the 2024-25 academic year (to no more than 13 scholarships).
- A vacation of all records in which student-athletes competed while ineligible.
- A three-year show-cause order for Sikes. During the show-cause order, any employing member school must suspend Sikes from 100% of the men's basketball season during the first year of his employment.
Members of the Committee on Infractions are drawn from the NCAA membership and members of the public. The members of the panel who reviewed this case are Stephen Madva, attorney in private practice; Roderick Perry, former athletics director at IUPUI and chief hearing officer for the panel; and Tricia Turley Brandenburg, executive associate athletics director and senior woman administrator at Army.
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