One could almost hear the can of worms opening on campus Wednesday. No, we’re not talking about an biology experiment. This is about basketball. Or is it? Mississippi State standout Mario Austin is the subject of an NCAA investigation. It centers around Austin’s high school transcript. Apparently, a few special education classes were mislabeled on Austin’s transcript.
The NCAA investigated the matter when Austin enrolled at MSU. He was cleared to play by the NCAA’s Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse.
Recently, another investigation has been launched into the same matter. The same matter that was resolved and closed three years prior.
After looking into everything in the recent investigation, an NCAA subcommittee concluded that credit given to Austin was erroneous. The same credit the NCAA cleared him of three years ago is now being taken back.
This strikes us as more than a little strange. Austin has met every academic requirement since enrolling at MSU. Should he be held accountable for someone else’s error regarding his high school transcript? It’s not as if he falsified records he never had access to. How can he possibly rectify this situation? He can’t go back to high school.
And how does forcing Austin not to play this year solve anything?
Think about the logical absurdities of this potential action: If Austin is ineligible this year, does that mean he wasn’t eligible the past two years? If he wasn’t eligible, then does MSU have to forfeit every game Austin appeared in over the past two years? Does the basketball team have to give up its SEC Tournament championship?
The NCAA is punishing Austin for something which he had no control over. Their actions are ironic considering that the NCAA wonders why so many athletes, notably basketball players, leave college early, or do not even go at all. An arbitrary and cumbersome bureaucracy might be the answer.
Everyone should remember that Austin nearly left for the NBA last season. He stayed because of family considerations and his desire to improve his skills. The NCAA should be proud of athletes like Austin instead of trying to find ways to keep him off the basketball court.
We think it’s worth noting that Austin isn’t the only Bulldog to have the NCAA investigate on the eve of a season. Just as with MSU quarterback Kevin Fant’s situation, the NCAA managed to step in mere hours before game time.
The investigation began some days before the Bulldogs’ first exhibition game tipped off. MSU wasn’t notified until two hours before game time. So Austin sat out. Austin also sat out the final exhibition game five days later.
The timing of both these announcements seems dubious. Considering the NCAA had all year to investigate these matters (in Austin’s case, three years), bringing investigations now makes us wonder if some party isn’t making a concerted effort to be a distraction to MSU athletic teams.
It is sad and ironic that the NCAA-an organization that constantly preaches fairness-is exemplifying unfairness. They should let Austin play.