Recent media reports stating Renardo Sidney has been cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center are inaccurate.  Being certified as initially eligible to compete in NCAA competition is a two-part process.  Prospective student-athletes must be cleared from both an academics and amateurism perspective.  At this point, Mr Sidney has only been cleared academically.  The NCAA Eligibility Center has asked for and is currently awaiting documentation from the Sidney family to make a determination on his amateur status.  Until that documentation is received and a final amateurism certification decision is made, any speculation on Mr. Sidney’s eligibility status is premature. 

A timeline for reaching this decision is based upon the NCAA Eligibility Center receiving the asked-for documentation.  Mr Sidney, his family, his attorney, and Mississippi State officials are fully aware of this two-pronged requirement and the documentation requests.  Mr. Sidney may enroll at Mississippi State University should he be accepted by the institution. 

It is important to note this same process is applied to determining the initial eligibility of upwards of 75,000 Division I and II prospective student-athletes each year. The NCAA Eligibility Center determines if a prospective student-athlete is eligible for athletic participation and aid. All admission decisions are made by the university, not the NCAA.