Report: Virginia Tech fine structure went up to potential $1,600
Virginia Tech player fines reportedly went up to $1,600 for repeat offenses.
The Richmond Times-Dispatchreported that a fine structure was displayed on a screen outside the team players' lounge Wednesday night, listing fines that varied from $10 for missing a team breakfast or tutoring session, $45 for missing class, and up to $100 for committing a personal foul penalty. Other fines were related to improper equipment, which was scaled up to a $1,600 penalty for a seventh offense and missing a team bowl trip for an eighth.
After Hokies defensive coordinator Bud Foster said Wednesday that coaches would explore fining players money out of their cost-of-attendance funds, Virginia Tech athletic director Whit Babcock told the Associated Press that players would not be fined in such a manner.
Babcock said he “had no idea” football players were receiving fines, adding that the practice has been discontinued. “None of it can be or was associated with cost of attendance,” Babcock toldTheRoanoke Times on Thursday, adding that he met with Foster, head coach Frank Beamer and director of operations John Ballein to discuss the disciplinary process.
• More: Babcock says players won't be fined cost-of-attendance funds
“There has been in place for a number of years, not to this extent, but for a number of years, a little bit of a, and I hate to use the word, but I can’t use another one, but a fine system, disciplinary for our players and such,” Babcock said. “And I think it’s come out of bowl type stuff. So I was not aware that we were doing that. It’s not against NCAA rules. It’s probably more prevalent than people think, but I was not aware of it.”
Another screen reportedly listed players that had currently been fined, totaling $330 in penalties among five players. Wednesday night, a spokesman said no student-athletes had been “relieved of any money” under the system for this coming school year.
-Jeremy Woo
