A tip for all the college football players out there: If you find yourself homeless at any point during your career, STAY HOMELESS. Otherwise, the NCAA might come after you.
Early last year, Silas Nacita found himself sleeping on floors and couches after earning a bunch of academic scholarships that allowed him to start attending Baylor to play running back for the Bears. So according to him, a family friend set him up in an apartment and helped cover some of his living expenses. It sounds like it was a pretty generous thing for that family friend to do. But in the NCAA's eyes, Nacita received "impermissible benefits" by accepting a roof over his head. So they just ruled him ineligible, meaning he won't be able to play for the Bears ever again.
"Silas Nacita will not be a part of the football program moving forward due to rules violations that impact his eligibility," Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw said in a statement today. "We appreciate his contributions to Baylor football and wish him well as he completes his studies."
Nacita—who scored three touchdowns last season—responded to the NCAA's decision by explaining himself on Twitter and saying that he respects their ruling:
But if everything that Nacita is saying is true, it doesn't seem like he should have been ruled ineligible. As Yahoo! Sports writer Dan Wetzel points out, what Nacita did isn't technically against the rules:
So maybe there's more to the story. Or maybe there isn't and this is just one more example of the NCAA taking a questionable stance on an issue.
UPDATE:
Hmmm...So the NCAA has responded to the Nacita story and said that they have not ruled him ineligible:
