The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at Norfolk State University (NSU) has compiled this "what to know" informational piece in an effort to help our student-athletes,
parents and other supporters of NSU athletics understand the recent NCAA report.

Q: What happened and how did this happen?
A: All Division I institutions, such as NSU, are subject to routine "audits" by the NCAA. During the review four years ago, the NCAA determined that the process for certifying the eligibility of student-athletes needed to be improved. Unfortunately, during this review, there were deficiencies noted in the certification process, and the NCAA determined some student-athletes had been certified incorrectly, which led to the outcome outlined in the probation report that was issued.

Q: What exactly does probation mean?
A: The probationary status does not affect any individual team. NSU sponsors 15 varsity sports, and all 15 sports will be fully participating (full schedules, championships, etc.) in 2016-2017 and beyond. No programs were eliminated, and no programs are currently subject to a post-season competition ban. The probationary status simply means the department is subject to additional reporting to the NCAA in terms of policies and procedures.

Q: What does the probationary status mean in terms of athletics scholarships?
A: Athletics aid awarded to student-athletes is not affected by the results of the probationary report.

Q: Is NSU the only institution subject to probation?
A: No, probation is one of the many "penalties" the NCAA issues to institutions when they have infraction cases. An infraction can be something as simple as a booster giving $5 to a student-athlete or something major. There are over 300 Division I institutions within the NCAAs membership, and there are many that are under probation with the NCAA…some well-known institutions, some lesser known. Although there is no single compiled list, a web search of "NCAA probation" will yield surprising results. 

Q: Why did wins have to be vacated?
A: Much like the probationary status, the forfeiture of wins is one of the many common penalties issued by the NCAA during infraction cases.

Q: Is NSU under investigation?
A: NO! NSU is subject to routine review of its athletics programs by the NCAA, which is different than an investigation for misconduct or other major infractions. While we may undergo an additional review in the near future, we are not under investigation by the NCAA.

Q: What happens now?
A: In the four years since the initial review, the athletics department has taken steps to improve its processes in an effort to prevent a future recurrence of this unfortunate situation. The department works very closely with the Registrar, Admissions and academic units across campus to ensure that correct and accurate information is being reported. 

Please continue to support NSU athletics and its student-athletes. These young men and women work very hard to represent their institution on the field and in the classroom. Together we will continue to improve and move forward.