Looks like buying other academic supplies other than books can get you suspended thanks to the NCAA, and Charleston Southern has found that out the hard way.
Prior to their big game against Florida State on Saturday, over 30 players from the Charleston Southern football team found out they were being suspended due to a bizarre NCAA rule which prevents athletes from using money allocated for books to purchase other bookstore products. So because these student athletes used left over money for other purchases in the bookstore, they’re being penalized.
So basically about 30+ players on my team including me have been suspended for using book money to buy other things in the book store like pencils, binders and electronic, running back Ben Robinson wrote on his Facebook page. The workers in the bookstore advised us to spend the money because we would not get it back, so we did.
Now the school and the NCAA are saying that is against the rules.
Other players took to social media to voice their displeasure and suspicions, including receiver Colton Korn, who felt there’s more to the situation than meets the eye.
Im bewildered at the at the lack of respect the university is showing us athletes and student body as a whole. Nobody is going to want to come to a university where students and athletes are treated lesser than every other college student. said Korn on his Facebook page.
While the rule is clear, saying that schools can give out money for books but the allotment is to be used specifically for book purchases, it’s a little too harsh and restrictive. A one game suspension, which was doled out to LSU lineman Josh Boutte for a late hit at the end of their game against Wisconsin, can also be given to a player for using a few extra dollars to buy pencils. Sounds very unbalanced and hypocritical.
So with the #3 team in the country on tap, Charleston Southern faces the risk of a third of their team being out for the game.
Harsh both on and off the field for sure.
