HAMPTON, Va. — Numerous athletes from Hampton University fail to meet NCAA eligibility requirement, first year Athletic Director Anthony Henderson announced Friday morning.
Henderson did not specify the number of total athletes, but according to the Virginian Pilot, he did confirm that at least “double-digit” members of the football team were in eligible in last week's loss to Norfolk State.
The school released a letter from Henderson regarding the issue on Friday morning:
"One of my principal responsibilities as the new Hampton University Director of Athletics is to ensure full eligibility and compliance of all student-athletes with NCAA, CAA, and University policies and requirements. Unfortunately, my assessment has revealed that multiple student-athletes do not meet eligibility requirements based upon NCAA bylaws. Until all requirements are met, affected student-athletes must be withheld from competing in their respective sports."
It is not clear how many players will be affected for the Pirates upcoming game against Howard at Audi Field in Washington on Saturday.
It seems as though this has been an ongoing issue over the past few weeks for the school. The Virginian Pilot also reported that an HU volleyball match scheduled for Sept. 5 between Hampton and Norfolk State had to be postponed due to eligibility concerns for Hampton.
Henderson also offered a number of solutions in his letter to expedite the process and to ensure future adherence to all eligibility requirements which includes increasing the number of University Compliance staff members, increasing the number of Athletics Academic Support staff members, retaining experienced consultants to assist us with appropriate processes and procedures, and working closely with the NCAA National Office to ensure adherence to rules and regulations moving forward.
"I will continue to provide you with critical updates and information about this matter and the Department of Athletics overall. I appreciate all of the ways in which you support our student-athletes and Hampton University, and I look forward to working together to position our program for ongoing success," Henderson said.
