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The Morgan State softball team has been slapped with a heavy punishment after the program was found to commit multiple recruiting violations.
According to the agreement released by the Division I Committee on Infractions at the end of June, the Morgan State softball head coach and his staff were discovered to have conducted tryouts during unofficial visits of prospects. Apparently, a total of “five impermissible tryouts” happened in a span of one year, with a number of student-athletes from the team being involved as well, per NCAA.org.
“More specifically, the head coach arranged at least two meetings with a prospect at an off-campus facility where she pitched to individuals, including a student-athlete, while the head coach provided the prospect with instruction. The head coach also directed a second prospect to field ground balls and throw to a student-athlete during an unofficial visit,” the NCAA report furthered.
“In addition, a member of the softball coaching staff invited a third prospect, who attended the softball team's practice during an unofficial visit, to join a team infield/outfield session to field fly balls and later invited the prospect to an athletic facility to further observe her athletic ability. Lastly, the head coach and other members of the softball staff observed a fourth prospect pitching to a student-athlete during an unofficial visit. In each case, the activities violated NCAA rules because the head coach and his staff conducted drills and observed the prospects displaying their athletics abilities, which constitutes impermissible tryouts.”
As a result of the violations–determined to warrant Level II-standard penalties–Morgan State softball has been placed in two years of probation. A fine of $5000 has also been placed on the team.
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Aside from that, the Morgan State softball coach has been given a one-year show-cause order. As the agreement documents explained, the said coach is prohibited from doing “recruiting communication, off-campus recruiting and evaluations for four weeks in July 2023.” He is also required to attend the NCAA Regional Rules Seminar, and he will have to pay the cost himself.
Furthermore, the coach has been suspended for the first five games of the regular season during the show-cause period.
As for Morgan State softball, they are now only allowed a maximum of “10 combined official and unofficial visits” for the 2023-24 season, which certainly hurts the program in its bid to field a competitive team. Not to mention that along the head coach's show-cause order, they won't be able to recruit off campus and evaluate prospects for the whole month of July.
It's certainly a rather concerning development for the Bears. Unfortunately, they will have to pay the price of their violations. Hopefully, though, the team learned its lesson.
