The Division III men’s national cross country championship's second-place winner, Mohammed Bati, has been suspended by the NCAA for accepting a $6,000 donation from community members in order to pay his tuition. The NCAA says that monetary donation is a violation of the rules.
According to The New York Post, the Augsburg University senior was facing a tough financial situation and considering dropping out of college. To pay his tuition, Bati, who is studying to become a nurse, works the overnight shift in an assisted living facility. When he gets off work at seven in the morning, he heads to practice, running upwards of 10 miles. Then, Bati attends a full day of classes and starts the whole schedule over again.
Despite his rigorous work schedule, Bati was short on tuition. His community rallied to help him stay in school and raised $6,000. However, Division III athletes “are not allowed to accept outside financial assistance that pays for tuition unless it fits into the structure of financial aid or NIL guidelines.”
As a result of the donation, the NCAA has ruled Bati ineligible for the indoor and outdoor track seasons. The NCAA categorized that $6,000 as an “impermissible benefit,” and said Bati “violated the organization’s policies for accepting money that wasn’t earmarked for Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) branding or sponsorships.”
“I don’t think some NCAA rules are fair to everyone,” Bati wrote in a statement. “The NCAA saw that support and said it was a violation. Because of that, I can’t run indoor or outdoor (track) this year. They said someone paying for my school breaks the rule. I understand that’s their rule, but I don’t think they look at the story behind it. Sometimes people get help because life is hard. Not everyone has money. Sometimes it’s just one moment, one time, trying to survive and move forward.”
According to Marathon Handbook, Bati is appealing the NCAA’s decision.
Bati, who recently finished 11th at the California International Marathon in a time of two hours and 12 minutes, has also qualified for the 2028 Olympic Trials.
