The NCAA has officially ruled junior Rayner Moquete academically ineligible for the remainder of the season, according to a Thursday afternoon email from Binghamton University Associate Director of Athletics for Communications John Hartrick.
Moquete, who has not dressed for Binghamton’s last four games, can practice with the team, but he cannot travel or dress for games.
“We have high academic standards for our student-athletes and I expect all of our players to meet those standards,” head coach Tommy Dempsey said. “I’m disappointed that Rayner fell short but he has the full support of our program and I know he will learn from this. We expect him to focus all his efforts on his classwork in the spring.”
And if he improves his grade-point average this semester, Moquete, an English major, will be eligible for the start of the 2013-14 season.
The school cannot disclose Moquete’s academic standing. However, according to NCAA bylaw 14.4.3.3 — Fulfillment of Minimum Grade-Point Average Requirements, “A student-athlete who is entering his or her fourth or later year of collegiate enrollment shall present a cumulative minimum grade-point average (based on a maximum of 4.000) that equals 100 percent of the institution’s overall cumulative grade-point average required for graduation.”
Binghamton requires all English majors to maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA to graduate, so based on the above bylaw, we can assume Moquete’s GPA has fallen below 2.0.
Hartrick could not comment on why Moquete has not suited up since Jan. 12, saying Dempsey would have to speak on that matter. It was a team decision, however, as the NCAA made its ruling today.