Alabama State lands a Level I-Mitigated ruling in the strange Jacory Croskey-Merritt eligibility case, and the school isn't shying away from its frustration.
The NCAA has closed the book on Alabama State's infractions case, and handed down a number of penalties including three years of probation, a $30,000 fine, and additional discipline that includes one percent of the football program's budget. The Committee on Infractions classified the case as Level I-Mitigated, a step down from where it started, and the HBCU made clear it believes the whole thing should have been treated as something far smaller from the beginning.
The case traces back to the 2019 season and, though no athlete is named in the public documents, the details point squarely at Jacory Croskey-Merritt, now a running back with the Washington Commanders. Alabama State acknowledged that a former sports information director altered one player's participation statistics on the school's website. According to the school, the employee did so at the direction of the former head coach. Though the university's statement did no name the coach invovled, Donald Hill-Eley led the program in 2019, and the committee found insufficient evidence to hold that former coach personally responsible for directing the change.
For those who followed the saga, the participation numbers are at the center of this. Croskey-Merritt began his career at Alabama State in 2019, and the school maintained he played in four games as a freshman, which allowed him to redshirt. Other records credited him with as many as eight appearances. Reports indicated another Alabama State back wore his number for part of that season, which muddied the participation record even further.
The Montgomery native went on to play four years for the Hornets before transferring to New Mexico, where he had a breakout 2023 campaign, rushing for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns. That opened the door for him to go to Power Five level, deciding to take his talents to Arizona, which signed off and certified him to play in 2024.
He opened the season on a promising note, rushing for 106 yards and a touchdown against New Mexico, but then Arizona held him out the rest of the way once new questions surfaced about his 2019 record.
Croskey-Merrit entered the 2025 NFL Draft and Washington took him a shot on him, selecting him in the seventh round.
Alabama State accepted the ruling and will not appeal, but the school is disputing both the classification and what it sees as uneven treatment. AD Dr. Jason Cable said the committee's reduction confirmed the case was "improperly elevated," and pointed to the conduct being tied to the former SID and head coach - both of whom are no longer with the school.
The bigger grievance is Arizona. According to Alabama State, the school that actually certified Croskey-Merritt and got him on the field received a Level III violation and a $500 fine, while ASU, which neither certified him for 2024 nor benefited from his one game against New Mexico, drew one of the NCAA's most serious classifications.
"The certifying institution received a minor infraction, while Alabama State was assigned one of the NCAA's most serious classifications," ASU President Dr. Quinton T. Ross Jr. shared in the school's release. "We believe the standards should be applied consistently across all institutions."
The school also noted the case involved a single employee, with no allegation of failure to monitor or lack of institutional control, and said it has since revised its statistical-reporting protocols, added postgame reviews, and strengthened its auditing and compliance education.
Regardless of their beef, the three-year probation begins immediately.
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