Alabama State ordered to pay minimum $30K in NCAA infractions case

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WSFA) - Alabama State University has been ordered to pay a minimum of $30,000 in fines after the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions ruled that a former sports information director altered a student-athlete’s competition statistics during the 2019 season on the school’s website.

The NCAA also ordered Alabama State to pay 1% of the football program’s budget and serve three years of probation.

“While today’s decision is a downgrade from the Level I aggravated classification, we still believe that the scope of penalty does not reflect the university’s involvement or non-participation in this matter,” said President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr.

ASU stated a former sports information director altered a student-athlete’s game stats on the athletics website during the 2019 season, allegedly at the direction of the former head football coach.

“The Committee’s reduction confirms what we have maintained from the outset — this case was improperly elevated. The underlying conduct, tied to the former sports information director and head coach, simply does not justify placement among the most severe cases in collegiate athletics. While we recognize the adjustment, we firmly believe the record supports a further reduction,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Dr. Jason Cable.

Donald Hill-Eley was the head coach at the time. He reached out to WSFA 12 News and provided this statement:

Hill-Eley also provided a letter from the NCAA stating, “the panel did not prescribe a penalty for you.” According to the NCAA, the case record was not sufficient to demonstrate his involvement in the violations.

Another concern for Alabama State is the inconsistency in how the case was treated compared to similar situations from other universities. The University of Arizona, the institution responsible for certifying the student-athlete’s eligibility and the entity that received the competitive benefit, was issued a Level III violation and a $500 fine. Alabama State University, which neither certified the student-athlete nor received any competitive advantage, was assigned a Level I violation.

“This outcome reflects a significant disparity,” said Ross. The certifying institution received a minor infraction, while Alabama State was assigned one of the NCAA’s most serious classifications."

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