The NCAA Division I Infractions Appeal Committee rejected FAMU's appeal and determine that the university must pay the financial penalty prescribed by the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, the NCAA reported late last week.
In the Committee on Infractions’ decision regarding Florida A&M, the panel found the university lacked institutional control and did not monitor its athletics program resulting in systemic underlying certification violations. In addition toother penalties, the panel prescribed a financial penalty of $5,000 plus 3% of the total athletics budget.
Based on the current year's approved athletic budget, the fine would be in the neighborhood of $311,000.
In May, the NCAA announced that over a period of six years, from 2010 - 2017, that FAMU improperly certified 93 student-athletes on 162 occurrences in 12 sports. This is the university’s fifth infractions case and third case involving certification issues in the past 19 years. FAMU was previously sited for NCAA infractions in 2015, 2006, 1990 and 1976. FAMU was under NCAA penalties at the time of the latest infraction.
FAMU Trustees budgeted the financial penalty when it put together the current year's athletic budget last summer.
FAMU Trustees budgeted the financial penalty when it put together the current year's athletic budget last summer.