Six Wofford players were told they are ineligible as a result of receiving “impermissible benefits,” as first reported on Thursday.
The players were said to have used meal plans set aside for students who live on-campus while living in off-campus apartments. The improper benefits were reportedly between $84 and $108.
The Field of 68 reported that the violations were deemed by the NCAA, but the NCAA responded by saying “The NCAA did not suspend student-athletes at this school and did not take any action against any athletic department personnel at this school.”
The news of these unidentified players, who were all transfers, being ineligible comes one week after head coach Dwight Perry and associate head coach Tysor Anderson were relieved of their duties for undisclosed reasons.
The alleged players’ infractions stem from being told they would be housed in upperclassmen dorms on campus, according to attorney Mark Peper, who represents four of the players involved and seven players overall on the roster. He said the players were then placed in underclassmen dorms, and they chose to move an off-campus apartment.
Just five days into the semester, the players were told to break their lease in order to remain eligible. They did so on Sept. 3. The infraction stems from the athletes using their on-campus meal plans while they were living off campus. WYFF’s Mark Whiteman reported that this “miscommunication” violated Wofford rules, not the NCAA.
He also said the players want Perry and Anderson reinstated because the players transferred to Wofford to play for those coaches.
Following Perry’s release, all the players on the roster have 30 days to enter the transfer portal. As a result of the timing of all these events, Wofford is in jeopardy of not having enough players to field a team this season. Assistant coach Drew Gibson was elevated to interim head coach.
Perry was the head coach for part of three seasons and posted a 48-43 overall record. He began his time leading the program when he replaced Jay McAuley in 2022, first on an interim basis and then fully in 2023.
The Terriers won the SoCon Tournament last season by winning three games in three days. They are scheduled to open the season at George Mason Nov. 3.
