Via: WRAL
Some University of North Carolina students want players who have been kicked off the football team to lose their athletic scholarships, while others say the players deserve the chance to earn their degrees.
UNC officials on Monday dismissed defensive tackle Marvin Austin, wide receiver Greg Little and defensive end Robert Quinn from the football team for receiving trips and jewelry from sports agents and lying about it.
Athletics Director Dick Baddour said the three remain on scholarship, a detail that irks some on the UNC campus.
“I don’t really like the idea of them keeping their scholarships,” senior Malia Losordo said Tuesday. “A lot of students work really hard to go to Carolina and to get into Carolina, to pay for Carolina.”
Athletic scholarships are paid for by the Rams Club, a booster organization, so any scholarship money forfeited by the players wouldn’t have gone to academic scholarships.
John Montgomery, executive director of the Rams Club, couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.
UNC spokesman Kevin Best said other athletes who have run into trouble in the past and have been kicked off their team have been allowed to remain on scholarship.
Alexis Ivey, a senior from Miami whose scholarship allows her to pay in-state tuition, said she wishes there were some academic consequences for players caught breaking the rules.
“There is just no lesson,” Ivey said. “If they do go to the NFL, I would like to see them repay the scholarships.”
The athletic scholarships are valued at about $17,500 per year for an in-state student and about $35,000 per year for an out-of-state student.
Baddour said Tuesday that he decided to keep the three players on scholarship so they would have a chance to earn their degrees.
“We felt like, if we could play a part in them completing their educational mission, it was the right thing to do,” he said.
Other UNC students support the decision.
“I don’t think we should take away their academic eligibility just because their athletic eligibility is out,” senior Stephen Estes said.
“I do want to show them a little grace, but I hate that this all happened,” senior Josh Weatherman said.
Seven other football players remain suspended while the NCAA and UNC determine their eligibility. Parallel investigations are being conducted into alleged dealings with sports agents and academic violations.
UNC has suspended safety Jonathan Smith for the full season, and the others who remain on the sidelines are defensive ends Linwall Euwell and Michael McAdoo, safety Brian Gupton, tailback Ryan Houston, fullback Davon Ramsay and cornerback Charles Brown.
University officials won’t disclose which player is being questioned as part of each investigation.
