UCF center Tacko Fall granted academic waiver, cleared to play
UCF freshman Tacko Fall has been cleared to play by the NCAA, the school announced Friday.
Fall, a 7'6" center, was initially deemed ineligible last week after the NCAA decided it would not accept all of his core courses at Liberty Christian Prep in Tavares, Fla., but he was granted an academic waiver and can play immediately. The high school is currently under extended NCAA evaluation status.
ESPN reported that Fall and his guardian were planning to sue the NCAA should he not receive a waiver.
“I am very thankful for the support from UCF, Dr. Hitt, my family and the media,” Fall said in a statement. “I would also like to thank the NCAA for allowing me to continue to pursue my dream here at UCF as a student-athlete.”
A native of Dakar, Senegal, Fall came to the United States as a junior and garnered some fame on the Internet for his highlight videos. Rivals rated him a three-star recruit. He is an engineering major at UCF.
“We are excited for Tacko [Fall] and his family that he has been given the opportunity to pursue his dream as a student-athlete,” UCF head coach Donnie Jones said. “I am thankful the NCAA looked at his case on an individual basis and has given him the opportunity to continue to be a student-athlete here at UCF.”
UCF opens at Davidson on Friday.
- Jeremy Woo
