Andrea AdelsonESPN Senior Writer September 13, 2023, 03:193 minutes read
The chairman and vice chairman of NCAA Division I said in a statement Tuesday that “violent and possibly criminal threats” were made against committee members following a high-profile decision to deny immediate eligibility to North Carolina receiver Tez Walker .
In the statement, Division I Board Chairman and Georgia President Jere Morehead and Evansville Vice Chairman and President Christopher Pietruszkiewicz also said they were “troubled” by North Carolina leaders’ public statements about the case. Both coach Mack Brown and athletic director Bubba Cunningham criticized the decision last week in sharp comments aimed squarely at the NCAA.
Morehead and Pietruszkiewicz said in their statement that the national office is coordinating with law enforcement regarding the threats and will “continue to do everything possible to support the volunteers who serve on these committees.”
A committee of NCAA Division I officials on Thursday rejected Walker’s final attempt to qualify for the 2023 season.
“The Division I Board believes that the NCAA staff and committee will apply transfer waiver policies as member schools intend and will give appropriate and full consideration to individual cases, including consultation with a panel of licensed mental health experts in cases in which mental health is impaired.” was cited as the reason for the transfer,” the statement said. “The DI Board directed the DI Council last year to refine transfer waiver policies and apply those policies to the 2023-24 academic year. These new guidelines were unanimously supported by all 32 Division I conferences in January and previously had widespread support from member schools and coaching associations.
Walker, who previously enrolled at NC Central and Kent State, believes he will be eligible to play this year for two reasons. Unable to play at NC Central because the pandemic canceled the season, he transferred to Kent State. Walker also cites psychological reasons for his decision to move from Kent State to North Carolina to be closer to his home in Charlotte and his grandmother.
In the statement, Morehead and Pietruszkiewicz said: “Identifying mitigating factors such as mental health does not necessarily support a waiver request, but in some situations may indicate that a student-athlete should primarily focus on addressing these critical issues during training.” . “First transition to a third school.”
Her statement then made harsh remarks aimed at North Carolina for waging a “public relations campaign” against the NCAA. For over a month, Brown has been publicly lobbying for the NCAA to approve Walker’s waiver.
Brown said after the final ruling was announced last week: “I don’t know that I have ever been as disappointed in a person, a group of people or an institution as I am now with the NCAA. It’s clear that the NCAA is about process and doesn’t care about the young people it’s supposed to support. Plain and simple: The NCAA has failed Tez and his family, and I have lost all confidence in their ability to lead and govern our sport. “
Morehead and Pietruszkiewicz said in their statement: “These comments directly contradict what we and our Division I colleagues and coaches have been loudly calling for – including UNC’s own football coach. We are a membership organization and do not pursue a PR campaign that can do that.” We contribute to a charged environment for our colleagues who volunteer on committees. We encourage members to use established and agreed processes to raise concerns and propose and adopt rule or policy changes if they are dissatisfied.”
The North Carolina Board of Trustees met in an emergency closed session Monday to consult internal and external counsel about possible options for Walker. No timetable has been set for a decision.