In the NIL first era, the NCAA gives Miami a probation for a violation

CORAL Gable, Fla. (AP) — Miami was placed on a one-year probation Friday after school and the NCAA women’s basketball coaches inadvertently helped arrange impermissible contact between two players signed with the Hurricanes.

It’s the first time the NCAA has announced a sanction related to a name, image, and likeness deal investigation — the NIL, as it’s called.

The NCAA investigated the actions of booster John Ruiz, who had signed several Miami athletes to NIL deals. Among them are women’s basketball players Haley and Hannah Cavender, who moved to Miami after meeting Ruiz — though the Cavenders told the NCAA the meeting had nothing to do with their decision to play for the Hurricanes.

The NCAA and Miami worked through a “negotiated solution” to end the saga, but the NCAA wanted the Hurricanes to agree to more penalties than were ultimately handed down — saying it was “disturbed” by the “lack of an involved breakup supporter.” The NCAA said the violation came from Katie Mayer, the Miami coach who helped facilitate a meeting between the Cavenders and Ruiz, unaware he was being supportive.

“Boosters engage with prospects and student-athletes in ways no NCAA membership has ever seen or encountered,” the NCAA said. “In this way, addressing the impermissible reinforcing behavior is critical, and the separation penalty is an effective sanction available to the (offenses committee).”

Meyer wouldn’t have to miss any more games; Served with a three match ban To start the season in anticipation of the decision of the NCAA.

The NCAA never named Ruiz in its ruling on Friday, but it did point to an April 13 tweet that Moezer posted that included a photo of him and two recruits. on that date, Ruiz posted a photo of himself With Cavinder’s twins having dinner at his home.

“These girls decided where to go, and no one else did it for them,” Ruiz tweeted on Friday.

The Cavinders, who have a massive social media following and several NIL deals, have signed their Letter of Intent About a week after dinner. They are not subject to any penalties. Both are in his first season with the Hurricanes after transferring from Fresno State.

“Although the parties asserted that a penalty of disassociation would be inappropriate on the basis of an impermissible meal and impermissible contact, the new environment associated with the Nile deal marked a new day,” the NCAA said.

Meyer said Friday in a statement distributed by the university that it has led programs with “integrity” and has been a “cooperative partner with the NCAA.”

“Collegiate athletics is in a state of transition, and any unintentional mistake I made was prior to fully understanding the applicable safeguards and the clarification issued by the NCAA in May,” Meyer said.

The NCAA said it launched an investigation in May and interviewed Ruiz in June. But the NCAA can’t order Miami to distance itself from Ruiz based on a meeting that took place before last year’s rule change.

The NCAA said, “(the infractions committee) will aggressively consider disassociation penalties in future cases involving conduct bordering on the NIL.”

Miami agreed to several other minor penalties, such as a small fine—$5,000, plus 1% of the women’s basketball budget, which the school does not issue as a private institution—and a slight reduction in the allowable in hiring.

“The penalties we ultimately agreed to, to end this, are disproportionate to the violation or its intent,” Miami said in a statement. “Coach Meyer is an outstanding coach, role model, and educator…and we fully support her, her program, and our continued departmental compliance efforts.”

The Cavenders became the stars of the NIL phenomenon once they became option collegiate athletes on July 1, 2021. Boost Mobile signed them right away, touting the move with a huge ad in New York’s Times Square. Many other deals soon followed.

Meyer is Miami’s all-time leader in women’s basketball in wins with 338, except for the three games the Hurricanes won without her this season — the NCAA says these can’t be included in her record. She is a former Associated Press Coach of the Year and former All-American Basketball Coach of the Year and is a member of the Miami Sports Hall of Fame and the Hall of Honor at Duke, her alma mater.

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