NCAA On North Carolina: ‘No Rules Appear To Have Been Broken’

The NCAA has ruled that North Carolina did not violate rules in regards to alleged academic violations. This investigation stemmed from student athletes who were enrolled in African and Afro-American Studies courses.

That department had come under question because of a report that former football players had taken an un-instructed summer class. The former head of that department, Julius Nyang’oro retired on July 1 because of the investigation.

North Carolina released a statement regarding how the investigation was handled.

The University first notified the NCAA that it had identified potential academic issues involving student-athletes in African and Afro-American Studies courses on August 24, 2011. We asked the NCAA to join us in our investigation of these issues, and they agreed to do that. A member of the NCAA enforcement staff traveled to Chapel Hill several times in the fall of 2011 and participated throughout the investigation.

With the NCAA enforcement staff, our internal working group of University Counsel Leslie Strohm, Senior Associate Dean Jonathan Hartlyn, and former faculty athletics representative Jack Evans interviewed faculty and staff in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, academic support counselors, and student-athletes who had taken multiple courses in the department.

Based on the joint review, UNC and the NCAA staff concluded there were no violations of current NCAA rules or student-athlete eligibility issues related to courses in African and Afro-American Studies. As a result, the NCAA did not add any allegations or include this issue during the University’s appearance in October 2011 before the Committee on Infractions.

College of Arts and Sciences Dean Karen Gil subsequently commissioned a review of courses in African and Afro-American Studies. In May, the University publicly issued that report and provided it to the NCAA.

On Aug. 23, 2012, University Counsel Leslie Strohm and Senior Associate Dean Jonathan Hartlyn provided an update to the enforcement staff. The NCAA staff reaffirmed to University officials that no NCAA rules appeared to have been broken.

University officials will continue to keep the NCAA informed as developments warrant.

These violations were unrelated to the recruiting violations that lead to the team being placed on probation for three seasons and banned from the postseason for the 2012 football season.

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