This week, state Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Jimmy Patronis submitted a public records request to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President Charlie Baker for all records regarding the NCAA’s transfer waiver process for University of North Carolina (UNC) Wide Receiver Tez Walker and Florida State University (FSU) Defensive Tackle Darrell Jackson. Recently, the NCAA made the decision to overturn the waiver denial of UNC Wide Receiver Tez Walker.
The letter is below.
Dear President Baker,
I’m writing you today regarding the NCAA’s recent decision to overturn the waiver denial of University of North Carolina (UNC) Wide Receiver Tez Walker.
The NCAA explained that Mr. Walker’s waiver denial was overturned because of “new information.” While I’m happy that Mr. Walker is now playing college football, it begs the question, what was this new information? Why is Mr. Walker now eligible to play when other student-athletes, including Florida State Defensive Tackle Darrell Jackson, are not? What is the NCAA hiding, and why are these decisions made behind closed doors? Were special accommodations made for UNC and no other programs?
The reality is time is fleeting and each day that passes Mr. Jackson is not allowed to play is robbing him of his opportunity to achieve his dreams of being a student athlete. The NCAA’s lack of transparency on this issue raises equal protection and anti-trust concerns.
The NCAA and major college sports are at a pivotal time in history, and these questions need to be answered publicly for the good of the sport and the NCAA’s survival. I’ve always said that transparency is the best disinfectant, and to hold the NCAA accountable to the student-athletes they serve, we must bring these decisions into the light. The NCAA should not be allowed to pick winners and losers and play with the lives and livelihoods of student-athletes. We must shed light on how these decisions are made so more student-athletes can benefit and play the games they love.
As Florida’s CFO, I respectfully submit this letter as a formal public records request to the NCAA for all records regarding the NCAA’s transfer waiver process for UNC Wide Receiver Tez Walker and FSU Defensive Tackle Darrell Jackson. Moreover, any information uncovered during the public records process will assist the state with the discovery phase in any necessary legal proceedings.
If you choose to deny this records request in any part, please explain in writing why the NCAA will not provide more transparency on your decision to deny a student-athlete the opportunity to compete, while granting similar requests made by a different student athlete.
