Athletic Director Henderson sheds light on Hampton eligibility issues
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Posted By: S. Moore on September 19, 2023 HAMPTON, VA (WTKR)- The ineligibility of multiple student-athletes at Hampton University is largely due to meeting progress towards degree requirements. Anthony Henderson, the Pirates' Director of Athletics, clarified that transfer student-athletes are the most impacted by the eligibility issues. The head of the Hampton athletic department announced Friday that a number of student-athletes did not meet NCAA requirements to be eligible for competition and that those student-athletes would be prohibited from participating in their respective sports until the matters were resolved. The Pirates have been conducting a thorough review of all sports as it pertains to eligibility, according to their athletic director. Cross country, women's soccer, volleyball and football are the programs that have been impacted to date. The Hampton football team, which came back to defeat Howard on Saturday in Washington, DC, is the highest-profile program facing the issues. Henderson says there are currently nine players with questions regarding their eligibility. Henderson also added that each head coach receives a list of student-athletes with questionable eligibility status. These lists have been updated prior to each competition or game as more players are cleared to return. The school has been in constant contact with the NCAA and Henderson could not comment as to whether he expects any sort of investigation or measures taken by the governing body of college athletics. The first-year leader of the department did stress that none of the issues are related to grades or academic performance. Henderson pointed out that 182 student-athletes made the Dean's List for the 2022-2023 academic year, when the overall Pirate athletic program boasted a 3.24 GPA and 24 athletes carried a 4.0. In his letter released Friday, Henderson assured the university community that he and his staff were on top of the situation and working in the best interests of the student-athletes and the program. The letter reads as follows: Dear Hampton Community: 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. Rest assured, the Athletics Department and the entire University continues to work tirelessly with all parties involved to overcome these challenges and to return our student-athletes to competition. We recognize and understand the impact on our student-athletes, their families, and the broader University community. To expedite the process and to ensure future adherence to all eligibility requirements, we have: 1. Increased the number of University Compliance staff members; 2. Increased the number of Athletics Academic Support staff members; 3. Retained experienced consultants to assist us with appropriate processes and procedures; 4. Worked 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. Sincerely, Anthony D. Henderson, Sr. Director of Athletics Hampton University SOURCE 3WTKR News and Hampton Pirates News If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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