CSU players suspended for misuse of scholarship money

[TexansSeminole]

Charleston Southern will face Florida State on Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida. The Buccaneers are 37.5-point underdogs as an FCS program, but the difficult task of taking on the Seminoles might now be impossible as multiple Charleston Southern players announced late Thursday that half the team has been suspended for the game.

In a Facebook post, wide receiver Colton Korn said the suspensions of 30-plus players -- FCS teams only have 63 scholarships -- stem from them using book money on non-book supplies at the bookstore, which resulted in a violation of NCAA rules.

...

Running back Ben Robinson said he and more than 30 of his teammates were told of their suspensions on Thursday and given the choice to either sit out the Florida State game or their conference game the following week.

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"It is unfortunate Charleston Southern University only cares about itself as an institution. The protection of its students/athletes should be a number one priority. This is the second time in two years I am ineligible to participate due [to] issues that could of been avoided if the necessary steps were taken by Charleston Southern," he said.

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It's an unfortunate circumstance for the players if their story is true, as it would appear to be an honest mistake that led to a large number of players having to miss one of the few games in their season simply because they were never made aware of the NCAA rule.

Link

So, if you open the link you can read what some of the players have written on social media about the suspensions. Notice how they all add "and electronics" to their statements.

My take is that schools and the rule committee wouldn't get upset about buying pencils. That would be ridiculous. My bet is that it's the electronics. School bookstores sell all kinds of non-school related items, like Beats headphones. My guess is that they bought Beats headphones or some other electronic that is not school/study related and that's the real issue, but the players are acting like it is the pencils they bought that CSU is suspending them for.

This appears to be fake/dishonest outrage, which is too common nowadays.

What do you think?

 

[infantrycak]

Not necessarily Beats but some sort of headphone is required now. With all the online lectures etc. and places, including shared dorm rooms, where you can't use speakers.

 

[TexansSeminole]

Not necessarily Beats but some sort of headphone is required now. With all the online lectures etc. and places, including shared dorm rooms, where you can't use speakers.

I'm taking engineering courses right now and have not used headphones once, nor have I had any online lectures. Headphones are absolutely not a requirement for study nowadays.

School bookstores sell all kinds of non-study related items. There are a lot of purchases at the bookstore that would deserve a suspension.

Also, when I first went to FSU in 2005 and lived in a dorm, nobody gave a **** about their roommate hearing their computer. Nobody bothered with headphones. The dorm room wasn't a great place to study.

 

[infantrycak]

Well my daughter has had several required online classes. Even if the classes are optional or live but have playback options or there are study materials available on line, there are lots of non-frivolous uses for headphones.

Yes school stores sell non-study items. Just think headphones as a category (not arguing quality) are not one of them.

 

[TexansSeminole]

Well my daughter has had several required online classes. Even if the classes are optional or live but have playback options or there are study materials available on line, there are lots of non-frivolous uses for headphones.

Yes school stores sell non-study items. Just think headphones as a category (not arguing quality) are not one of them.

I certainly have extra study material that is in the form of video, but I have not yet had a class in which the lecture is online. I didn't at FSU either. That sounds like an online class, which is an option for some courses you can choose if you cannot make it to campus. There has always, to my knowledge, been an on campus option (recommended) for that class. I doubt the football players are taking online classes, and if they are it isn't because they can't make it to campus, it is because they don't have to actually go to class or be supervised while doing the required work for the course.

Either way, you can watch study related material on your computer just fine without headphones, so they are not required. Helpful in some instances, but not required. There are many items that are helpful for college life that are not required, thus shouldn't be bought by the university for the student athlete.

Even if you view it as required, you can buy $15 headphones with your own money, don't you think? Amazon has headphones for sale for $5 and less.

 

[infantrycak]

I didn't say required but that's not the standard - legitimately useful is closer. I said I wasn't getting into quality. Obviously don't know about your schools. UT tapes many of the live lectures so students can review or catch one which is missed.

I did some tutoring of Cal football players. Getting them out of the dorms and into a more quiet place like a library or student union often helped their concentration. They have way too many people popping in on them. Having headphones to study in the library is good for them imo. So 1st $15 I have no problem coming out of scholarship. Above that should be out of pocket.

 

[TexansSeminole]

I'd agree with that. It's helpful for all students to have headphones, like many other things are helpful. My thing about designating it required is that then they can use university supplied money to buy $100-200 headphones because it's required to study.

You did say required though, that's why I was arguing that it's not.

 

[TexansSeminole]

Having said all that, if the university is punishing the athletes for using that money for pens, pencils, binders, paper etc. that's absolutely ridiculous. Even calculators should be viewed as a requirement, although some are expensive and unnecessary for the majority of students.

Also, my experience with lectures is that professors generally do the most they can to reward those who attend them, so taping them runs counter to that. It would be beneficial if they all did that, but my experience is that they don't.