Louisville Football Player Suing Over Scholarship Cancellation
Patrick Grant, a former football student-athlete at the University of Louisville, is suing the university and Charlie Strong for covering up an attack he suffered and not fulfilling his scholarship. Part of the lawsuit alleges that the cancellation of his scholarship was against NCAA rules:
The suit states that “in apparent recognition of Patrick’s dedication to the football team and everything he suffered at the hands of his teammates and his willingness to play by the ‘rules’ set by Coach Strong and his staff,” Strong promised Grant that his 2011-12 athletic scholarship would remain in place.
“That scholarship would allow Patrick to continue in school in pursuit of a graduate degree in his chosen field: criminal justice,” the suit states.
But according to the lawsuit, that scholarship was canceled on Jan. 4, 2012. When Grant protested that the cancellation broke an agreement, Coach Charlie Strong, “simply ended the call and hung up the phone,” according to the lawsuit.
If the scholarship was cancelled mid-year, the odds that the cancellation violated NCAA rules are higher. Mid-year cancellations must be for specific reasons in the NCAA bylaws or for violating a term of the scholarship agreement. Any cancellation or non-renewal requires the student-athlete to be provided written notice from the financial aid office and a hearing opportunity.
As the article says, the allegations in a lawsuit are only one side of the story. But if the cancellation of Grant’s scholarship occurred as he described, than it would have violated NCAA rules about how a student-athlete’s scholarship may be changed in the middle of the year.