Report: UNC exploited grad school admissions to gain eligibility for student-athletes

The academic scandal at the University of North Carolina has revealed yet another layer and this one involved the graduate student program.

According to a report by the News & Observer, UNC admitted student-athletes into the graduate program in order to keep them eligible for an extra semester.

The News & Observer detailed the admittance of former cornerback and kick returner Michael Waddell, who had a low grade point average and no GRE score, yet was admitted into the graduate studies program for a semester so he could gain a final year of eligibility. Waddell went on to be drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the fourth round in 2003.

He never attended classes, flunked out and became just another black mark for a university that was already scorched by a university-wide academic scandal that kept student-athletes eligible by enrolling them in “paper classes,” which required little to no attendance and just a paper at the end of the term to complete the course.

According to the latest report, Cheryl Thomas, the graduate school’s admissions director from 2002 to 2010, said that at least once a year the athletic department would contact her looking to place an athlete in the graduate program in order to save their eligibility. The other name she mentioned was Justin Knox, a basketball player who had graduated from the University of Alabama in 2010 but still had one year of eligibility remaining.

Knox was a good student, but left to pursue a professional career in Europe after his eligibility was up. He never received a degree.

A report released in October revealed that approximately 1,500 student-athletes at UNC were syphoned into bogus classes in order to preserve their athletic eligibility. The improprieties went on for 18 years and were far greater than anything the university had previously reported.

At the time, both the university and the NCAA released a statement about the infractions, but did not say when or if sanctions would be forthcoming. This latest news about improprieties in the graduate school will just be another factor to consider when determining punishment.

For more North Carolina news, visit TarHeelIllustrated.com.

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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter! Follow @YahooDrSaturday

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