INDIANAPOLIS---"The NCAA and its member institutions take seriously any allegation of academic misconduct. These types of violations are among the most serious that can be committed and are in direct contradiction to the core values of the NCAA as a higher education association.

"All members of a campus community, including our student-athletes, must adhere to sound principles of academic standards. When those standards are compromised, the NCAA will take appropriate action to reaffirm our values.

"It is the institution’s responsibility to investigate potential misconduct and declare any student-athletes who commit NCAA violations as ineligible. The university must then seek reinstatement for those student-athletes from the NCAA national office.

"We appreciate Florida State University’s cooperation to date and commend President Wetherell for initiating an investigation into this matter and taking strong action to address this situation.

"During the reinstatement process, the NCAA staff considers a number of factors, including guidelines established by the Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, any relevant case precedent, the student-athlete’s responsibility for the violation, as well as any mitigating factors presented by the university.

"The NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff and membership committee are sensitive to the nuances of each situation and will consider each individual student-athlete’s level of responsibility before deciding each reinstatement decision. The NCAA will consider each student-athlete’s case based on the information provided to us by the institution.

"The NCAA is committed to academic reform measures to ensure that all student-athletes receive a quality education. That commitment is expressed through efforts to improve student academic success, strengthen campus responsibility and increase overall accountability. Accountability to academic standards will continue as an important and needed effort to ensure success in the classroom."

-30-