Report: University Employee Helped WSU Baseball Players Get Discount
Paul Suellentrop of the Wichita Eagle following up on yesterday’s news about Wichita State investigating potential violations in its baseball program:
Wichita State baseball players purchased Under Armour apparel, not related to baseball, at a discount through administrative assistant Shelley Wombacher, according to several sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
As many as 16 current players could be involved. The purchases included items such as hunting clothes and gifts, at as much as a 50-percent discount. They led to Tuesday’s announcement by the athletic department of an internal review regarding improper clothing and apparel benefits to members of the team.
This explains how the new coaching staff discovered violations when players asked felt the coaching staff were sticklers for the rules on equipment and apparel. The WSU case sounds like a straight-forward case of impermissible discounts to student-athletes with the added twist that the discount was facilitated by an athletic department staff member.
In addition to possible suspensions mentioned in the article, current student-athletes will need to repay the value of the discount they received. Assuming the violation is classified as major, Wichita State could face scholarships reductions and may have to defend against a charge of failure to monitor.