Sept. 20—A lawyer representing six Wofford men’s basketball players who were facing suspension said Friday they have been reinstated.
This is the latest twist in a bizarre scandal that began last week with Wofford’s firing of head coach Dwight Perry and associate head coach Tysor Anderson.
After The Field of 68 reported Thursday that the NCAA had suspended six players for receiving improper benefits, the NCAA’s official X account responded to deny the report.
“This is not accurate,” the account said in two posts. “The NCAA has not suspended student-athletes at this school or taken any action against athletic department personnel at this school.”
Lawyer Mark Peper then told several media outlets on Friday that all six players had been “reinstated”, effective immediately.
Peper told The Field of 68 this week that six players who were supposed to be placed in upperclassman men’s dorms at Wofford were instead placed in underclassman men’s dorms.
Anderson asked the players “if they wanted to keep their current residence or rent an off-campus apartment and pay for it themselves,” Peper said. “They chose the latter option and Coach Anderson correctly informed the administration of their intention to do so.”
Then the players were told they were no longer eligible using their campus meal plans while living off campus, according to Peper. Wofford self-reported the infractions to the NCAA.
Fees per player ranged from $84 to $108, sparking public outcry at a time when college basketball players earn ZERO and participate in revenue sharing with their schools. Additional reports indicate that Perry and Anderson covered the rent until their players’ NIL checks arrived, at which point they were able to reimburse the coaches.
Peper told the media that the players in question want to play for Perry and will seek to transfer if he and Anderson are not reinstated by the school.
Perry, 37, was promoted from associate head coach to head coach at Wofford in 2022. He led the Terriers to the Southern Conference title and an NCAA Tournament berth last spring.
–Field level media
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