CHAPEL HILL -- Twelve of the 13 North Carolina players who were either declared ineligible, or withheld, from Saturday’s 30-24 loss to LSU are expected to practice with the Tar Heels this week, a team spokesman said Sunday.
However, star defensive end Marvin Austin – suspended two days earlier for breaking school rules – will not. “That’s a [coach] Butch Davis decision,’’ team spokesman Kevin Best said.
The Tar Heels remain mired in two investigations . The NCAA is probing whether football players took inappropriate benefits from agents, while the school is also looking into whether a former tutor – who was employed by both the school and Davis – committed academic misconduct by inappropriately helping football players with papers they had to write for class.
Austin, who two sources confirm has been subpoenaed in Secretary of State Elaine Marshall’s investigation of possible violations of North Carolina law involving sports agents, was suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules on Wednesday. Then on Friday, he was one of seven players who were declared ineligible for the season-opener at the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff for violating NCAA and/or school rules. The others were cornerbacks Kendric Burney and Charles Brown; defensive ends Michael McAdoo and Robert Quinn; wide receiver Greg Little; and safety Deunta Williams.
Six additional Tar Heels were held out of the game, and did not make the trip, as UNC officials continue to gather more information to determine whether they should be declared ineligible. They are: tailbacks Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston; safeties Brian Gupton, Da’Norris Seacy and Jonathan Smith; and defensive end Linwan Euwell.
At least half of the 13 players – including Austin, McAdoo, Brown, Quinn, Draughn and Gupton – were in the stands for Saturday’s game at the Chick-fil-A Kickoff in Atlanta.
The players were not allowed to travel with the team, and Best said they were told that if they opted to travel on their own, they would have to pay their own expenses. Asked, in the light of the ongoing investigations, whether those players would be asked to provide receipts, or proof of who paid for their trips, Best said he did not know.
The number of games the 13 might miss has not been determined. Athletic director Dick Baddour said Friday, “My hope weould be that we would move along enough in the next week or 10 days or two weeks to have a better sense of whats involved with each case.”
The Tar Heels don’t play against until Sept. 18, against Georgia Tech.
