The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff has reinstated the eligibility of Oklahoma State University football student-athlete Desmond Bryant. 

Bryant, a wide receiver for the university, will be required to sit out a season while being charged a season of eligibility as a condition for his reinstatement. The student-athlete was declared ineligible by the university for violations of the NCAA ethical conduct and preferential treatment rules.

The student-athlete reinstatement staff considered all factors presented by Oklahoma State University in its review of the situation. Because the NCAA reinstatement staff’s role is not investigatory, all student-athlete reinstatement decisions are based on an evaluation of information provided by the university.

During the reinstatement process, the NCAA staff considers a number of factors including guidelines established by the NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, any relevant case precedent, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as the nature and seriousness of the violations.

According to guidelines established by the reinstatement committee, the staff has been directed to give significant consideration to three factors when determining the appropriate conditions for cases involving unethical conduct violations. These factors include whether the student-athlete actively and deliberately concealed, omitted or provided inaccurate or false information. Second, the staff must consider whether the student-athlete had multiple opportunities to correct or provide the accurate information. Finally, the staff must consider if the student-athlete provided inaccurate or false information to the NCAA enforcement or amateurism certification staff. The guideline for withholding ranges from 50 percent to permanent ineligibility based on these criteria. Although the committee has indicated that student-athletes should not be reinstated when these factors apply, the staff determined relief is warranted based on the mitigating factors presented by the university. 

The university can appeal the decision to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee, an independent committee composed of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences.

Information on the student-athlete reinstatement process can be found in the latest Behind the Blue Disk. The Behind the Blue Disk series features one-page documents in an easy-to-read question-and-answer format that explains the NCAA position on issues in college sports.