The Richmond Times Dispatch reports that the University of Richmond suspended five baseball players indefinitely for playing fantasy football.
Two weeks ago, the university announced that secondary violations would affect the eligibility of the five players. At the time, February 17th, the university statement said, “These five student-athletes will be ineligible for competition until the NCAA’s reinstatement process has been completed.”
The prohibition which keeps athletes from participating in fantasy sports is made unmistakably clear in the NCAA rulebook.
According to USA Today, the NCAA rulebook states, “Do not place a wager on any college or professional sporting event. This includes: Fantasy leagues, sports pools and March Madness brackets (if an entry fee is required and a prize is awarded).”
Still, maybe the NCAA could take a second to think and realize that a fantasy football league has nothing to do with college baseball, and let the players play.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn