THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 19, 1994 TAG: 9410190568
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Short : 44 lines
Georgetown guard Allen Iverson regained his eligibility Tuesday after the NCAA determined he had made a ``good-faith effort'' in repaying an athletic shoe company for airplane tickets he used.
The heralded freshman who formerly played at Hampton's Bethel High School was declared ineligible by Georgetown because of the tickets, pending a review of the case by the NCAA.
The NCAA reinstated Iverson after reviewing documents showing he repaid Nike for flying him in July 1993 to a company-sponsored summer camp in Indianapolis.
NCAA director of eligibility Carrie Doyle said Iverson repaid the company before the school contacted the NCAA, which ``demonstrated that he was making a good-faith effort to do the right thing.''
Iverson and the other players participating at the basketball camp were given round-trip airplane tickets by Nike, in compliance with NCAA regulations. But Iverson had to leave the weeklong festival to return to Hampton for a hearing on three felony charges involving a bowling alley brawl.
The company paid for Iverson's tickets to Hampton and back to Indianapolis, a violation of NCAA regulations because the other players were not offered a second set of tickets.
Georgetown coach John Thompson said Iverson should not be blamed.
``His being ineligible was a sensational way of putting it,'' Thompson said. ``The fact is the burden of responsibility was placed on the wrong person, a 17-year-old person who has not even been to his senior year in high school. How in the hell is he supposed to know the rules and regulations we have if we don't even know ourselves?'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Allen Iverson
by CNB