Latest News

« back to 2010 | Back to NCAA News Archive Index

NCAA requires loss of contests, repayment for Dwight Dasher

Middle Tennessee State University football student-athlete Dwight Dasher must miss four games and repay $1,500 in benefits as a condition of becoming eligible to play again, according to a decision today by the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff.

The university declared the student-athlete ineligible for violations of NCAA preferential treatment rules. According to the facts of the case submitted by Middle Tennessee, the student-athlete received an impermissible loan from an individual in the community. Based on the information provided by the university, the student-athlete has repaid the loan.

During the reinstatement process, the NCAA staff reviews each case on its own merits based on the specific facts. Staff decisions are made based on a number of factors including guidelines established by the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.

The four-game withholding requirement is consistent with the committee guidelines for the facts of the case and the value of the extra benefits. The student-athlete has already sat out two of the four games.

The university can appeal the decision to the Division I NCAA Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, an independent committee comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences. This committee can reduce or remove the condition, but it cannot increase the staff-imposed conditions. If appealed, the student-athlete remains ineligible until the conclusion of the appeals process.