Expert: Thom Brooks - 9/6/2008

Question
My son went on a college visit last spring and received information describing the full scholarship he was being offered, a "Full Meal Deal".  He sign a letter of intent on signing day last spring to that university, based on the information from the visit. My wife question the Recruiting Coach, which was the only representative from the university which contacted us, after reviewing the paperwork that was presented to be signed on signing day.  The only thing that was checked on the athletic financial aide for our son was the 500.00 which my son was told,on his visit, was for spending money.  The recruiting coach stated that there was no monetary amount for the actual scholarship, which was to be the full package, on the paperwork, because the student needed to apply for financial aide and then the school would subsidize whatever was left after financial aide was awarded.  We told the Coach that our son wouldn't qualify for a grant and he would need the full package, and we were told no problem, but we still needed to apply for financial aide.  
Our son arrived on campus for the summer workouts on Aug 5th, and they started school on August 25th.  My wife checked my sons e-mail which allowed access to all of his school information.  When she checked his statement after starting class his balance was $5100.00, this was minus the 500.00 that was on the paper on the financial aide letter signed on signing day.  She called the Recruiting Coach and was told that all of his financial aide hadn't been awarded yet. My son hadn't even received his books and when he ask about getting his books and he was told by the athletic dept. to wait.  My wife again called the Recruiting Coach and she was told that he didn't know why it was taking so long for the financial aide to be awarded, but it should be there in a couple of days.  The aide never showed up and we already knew he wasn't eligible for a grant.  My wife talked back and forth with this Coach all last week and then Tuesday, Sept.3 we found out that our son didn't have a full scholarship after all.  The Recruiting Coach told my wife that he had found somemore scholarship money and he had got the balance down to $1400.00, by this time my son is disenchanted with the school anyway, but had they come thru with the full scholarship he would have stayed.  I wouldn't allow my sign to apply for a loan and he informed the Coach that he would be leaving the university. My Son said that all the Head Coach would say was that he needed to stay, but there was no promise of fulfilling the scholarship promised. My wife was told by the Recruiting Coach that he had found some more scholarship money and now his balance was less then $2000.00 so my son could apply for a student loan to pay the balance.  We  had previously told our son not to sign/apply for anything and if they couldn't come up with the balance of the money then my son would redraw from the university.  My son had previously been offered a full scholarship to local Jr. College, but turned it down for a better prospect of a full 4-year scholarship, which was really $500.00  Forgot to mention we live in East Texas and the university is in West Texas.  My son call the Jr. College Coach and Jr. College Coach was able to get him enrolled in school so my son wouldn't have to sit out a full semester.  Well the university Coach showed up at the Jr. College and  now we've been informed that because my Son wasn't enrolled in the Jr. College before the 1st game he can't play this year.  If we had known that the university wasn't planning on honoring the full scholarship and had we known when he went to get his books there was no scholarship which paid for his book our son would have never signed the letter of intent, and if we had known the first week of school they didn't plan to give him the full scholarship he could've been back at home and enrolled in the Jr. College the first week of class.  He was going to be red-shirted at the university anyway so its's no big deal about him playing this year, but there has got to be some NCAA rule governing a university being able to do this to a student.  If we had not instructed our son not to apply for a loan the Coaches would have coerced him into applying for a loan, which he wouldn't have to pay until after graduation.  When all these kids know and think about is playing football and they're being told its too late to go to another campus, but a loan will clear everything up, then there's something wrong with the system.  We plan to go to the local media next week to expose the university for the tactics that were used with our son and that probably won't change a thing, and maybe this is the way universities distribute their scholarship,but we think parents should be made aware. Our son is being penalized and that university should be penalized too.
Note**There was another Athlete that was done the exactly same way, offered full Scholarship, actually awarded $500.00   When we last check the universities web site for  my son statement, the balance had gone from a $5100 in the red to $200 in the the black.


Answer
Reginald, hello!

I am sad for your family's stress.  Not knowing the University's official side of the story, it is difficult to comment.  However, you likely need to seek legal counsel immediately.  Document every email and letter and phone call and names of all parties involved.  Get the other party who may have been wronged to prepare a statement.  Save your question above for the authorities to review.

The school has Professional Liability and Commercial General Liability policies that could cover them if they made a mistake, but not if it was done intentionally by a coach.  

I have attached the websites for the NCAA and their rules.  You can file a complaint through them and get prompt attention. You can notify the State Attorney General for Texas and see if they will review a possible wrongdoing.

Be certain you follow the rules.  Obviously, if you create a news worthy story, the school would distance themselves and withdraw the scholarship or make it very difficult for your son as a student/athlete.

If your son signed a scholarship, the law will likely only be able to enforce what the paper says, not what the coach stated, unless you have those other witnesses that will come forward.  

You would be wise to talk with other coaches at the same level of school.  Your Lawyer should handle the disagreement fairly for you, so cheer up and things will work out!!

Thom Brooks




 D1AA College Football  


http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/membership_svcs/eligibility-recruiting


 PlayYourGame.com - NCAA Eligibility Explained


 Official Web Site of the NCAA