Bluefield State failed to monitor certification process in eight sports

Download the November 2021 Bluefield State University Public Infractions Decision

Bluefield State committed certification violations over the course of a three-year period when it improperly certified 21 student-athletes across eight sports, according to a decision released by the Division II Committee on Infractions.

As a result of the improper certifications, the 21 student-athletes competed in a total of 225 contests while ineligible and received actual and necessary expenses associated with the contests. The NCAA enforcement staff and school agreed that the violations occurred due to gaps in the school's compliance program and demonstrated that Bluefield State failed to monitor its certification process. 

The improper certification violations triggered violations of numerous NCAA rules, which resulted in 28 violations of amateurism certification, academic certification and progress-toward-degree requirements. Specifically, the violations fell into the following categories:

• Practicing and competing before receiving amateurism certification.
• Practicing and competing after the 45-day certification period without completing NCAA initial eligibility certification.
• Competing as a partial qualifier.
• Practicing and competing after exhausting 10 semesters of competition.
• Competing while no longer in good academic standing.
• Practicing and competing while no longer enrolled full time at the school.
• Competing without completing nine hours in the previous full-time academic term.
• Competing without completing 24 hours in the two previous full-time academic terms.
• Competing without completing an academic year in residency after transferring.
• Competing without earning the required transfer credit hours. 

            "The violations occurred because Bluefield State did not have the proper resources dedicated to its compliance operations," the committee said in its decision. "Nor did it have the proper systems in place to ensure compliance with NCAA certification legislation." Systemically, the school did not have proper checks and balances in place. All of the certification responsibilities fell on the school's compliance director, who had limited NCAA compliance experience and carried out other sports information responsibilities. The enforcement staff and school agreed that the institution fell short of monitoring responsibilities due to inadequate processes, improper systems and insufficient staffing resources. 

            This case was resolved through the cooperative summary disposition process, a process in which involved parties collectively submit the case to the committee in written form. All participating parties must agree to the facts and violations of the case for this process to be used instead of a formal hearing.

            The committee in its report recognized the school's swift action to reorganize its compliance department and applauded Bluefield State for proactively securing an outside entity to conduct a compliance audit. Bluefield State began implementing the recommendations from the audit before the committee's review of this case. 

            After considering Bluefield State's cooperation, corrective actions and relevant mitigating factors, the committee prescribed the following penalties:

• Three years of probation.
• A fine of $2,000 (self-imposed).
• A vacation of team and individuals records of contests in which student-athletes participated while ineligible.
• Implementation of recommendations from the outside compliance audit.
• The athletics director and compliance director(s) must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars during each year of the probationary period. Registrar's office staff members with certification responsibilities must attend the seminars during the first two years of the probationary period. Financial aid office staff members with athletics-related responsibilities must attend one seminar during this period. 

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 Jessica Chapin, athletics director at American International; John David Lackey, attorney in private practice; Richard Loosbrock, faculty athletics representative at Adams State; Melissa Reilly, senior woman administrator and associate commissioner at the East Coast Conference; Leslie Schuemann, senior woman administrator and deputy commissioner at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference; and Jason Sobolik, assistant athletics director at Minnesota State University Moorhead.