Getty Image / Andy Lyons
Friday was a tumultuous day for Miami Hurricanes athletics, as it was revealed that the women’s basketball team, was under NCAA investigation for violations involving the Cavinder twins, basketball and social media stars that suit up in the green and orange. And, penalties have been handed out.
Here are some details on the allegations, courtesy of ESPN.
The NCAA issued its first sanctions in a case related to name, image and likeness opportunities for college athletes Friday, dinging the Miami women’s basketball program with a year of probation and other minor penalties for its involvement in urging a meeting between a wealthy alum and two players who transferred to the school last summer.
The case involves several prominent figures in the nascent marketplace for NIL deals, none of whom received any direct sanctions from the NCAA. The sanctions stem from a meeting between Miami alum John Ruiz and transfer basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder.
Ruiz has signed more than 100 Hurricanes athletes to NIL deals to promote his company LifeWallet, some of them reportedly worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. His conversations and deals with athletes who have transferred to Miami in a number of sports have come under NCAA scrutiny in the past year. Ruiz, who was not sanctioned or disassociated from the school as a result of this case, told ESPN that the NCAA has no right to stop him from contacting any parties with whom he wants to sign a contract for his business.
Ruiz is arguably the biggest NIL booster in the country, and made his money mainly as a civil attorney involving issues in the medical field, such as billing and pharmaceuticals.
He’s clearly not happy with what went on, and spoke out against the NCAA.
John Ruiz tells @SINow that..
– he would have sued the NCAA if they would have disassociated him from UM
– he should not be classified as a booster
– Miami should fight the ruling“When you read this in totality, it’s pretty foolish.”https://t.co/bnghesLc0t
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) February 24, 2023
He said, according to the SI article.
Had it personally impacted on me or my company, I would have sued the NCAA, and they would have had a big battle,” Ruiz said Friday. “They are interrupting the rules in the wrong way. There was nothing improper.
“It’s somewhat upsetting for these young girls that have nothing to do with this,” he continues. “Ultimately, the NCAA has to appear they are doing something. It’s entirely up to the school to resolve these grievances with the NCAA. If it was up to me, I’d go after them, and it would not be a good day for them. To interpret what happened in the fashion they have is totally unwarranted.
Yeah, the NCAA probably shouldn’t mess with John Ruiz and get in between him and Miami, his alma mater.