FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 7, 2008
BETHANY COLLEGE STATEMENT ON SELF-REPORTED NAIA RULES VIOLATION
LINDSBORG, Kan.—Upon internal investigation, Bethany College has discovered a rules violation within the college’s baseball program.
During the 2006 season, a Bethany student was reported to have played in less than the maximum number of games (eight) to be granted a medical hardship. Bethany College applied for and was granted a medical hardship for the student for the 2006 season. Because the 2006 season was his fourth season of competition, a year of the student’s eligibility was conserved. The student then played inevery game during the 2007 season.
In fact, during the 2006 season the student played in 10 games. He thus completed his eligibility during the 2006 season, and was ineligible to play in games during the 2007 season.
Bethany College began an investigation into this matter on February 13, 2008. On March 7, 2008, Bethany College self-reported the finding of the rules violation to the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference.
In compliance with the rules of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, Bethany College will forfeit every baseball game in which an ineligible student played during the college’s 2007 baseball season. The college will relinquish its 2007 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference title in baseball.
The college has self-imposed penalties, and will change the way in which it administers medical hardship documentation.
Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to nurture and challenge individuals in their search for truth and meaning as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.
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