SPRINGFIELD, Mo.– Drury University Athletics received penalties from the NCAA on Thursday regarding infractions stemming from the institution improperly certifying 50 student-athletes in 14 sports as eligible for competition between the 2019-20 and 2021-22 academic years. The penalties resulted from violations of amateurism and initial eligibility certification and or financial aid legislation.
 
"We discovered this issue soon after I was hired at Drury, and we immediately worked to comply with the NCAA and the GLVC to address the issues at hand," said Nyla Milleson, Vice President and Director of Athletics, who began her tenure at Drury on Feb. 21, 2022. "I understand the NCAA decision and we will continue to work through their guidelines to ensure this never happens again."
 
The NCAA has placed Drury Athletics on three years of probation starting with the 2023-24 academic year, fined the department $5,000 and Drury will vacate wins and records that occurred when student-athletes competed while ineligible. The department will also continue to implement and conduct a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation and undergo an initial amateur and academic eligibility certification review during the length of their probationary period.  As a result of the violation, Drury men's swimming & diving will forfeit their 2021 Great Lakes Valley Conference championship and their 2021 NCAA-II national runner-up finish. Drury will remain eligible for NCAA championships going forward and can still host regional or national championship events.  
 
"We take full responsibility for all errors that led to these penalties, and I deeply apologize to our students whose athletic legacies have been impacted by this situation," said Drury President, John Beuerlein. "The Drury Athletics Department leadership addressed this issue the moment it was uncovered, and I applaud their swift action. While this was a product of omission rather than commission, as an institution, we will continue to hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards of excellence and integrity."
 
(See the full NCAA news release and negotiated resolution here) 
 
 
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