Thirteen North Carolina football players have been suspended for selling team-issued Nike shoes.
On Monday, the school made the announcement that the suspensions will range from one to four games. According to The Washington Post, the suspensions will be staggered for certain players “to protect the health and safety of the students.” University of South Carolina reported the violation in January. Players were selling the shoes with price ranges from less than $200 to $3,500.
The players who will be suspended for four games include: quarterback Chazz Surratt, starting defensive end Malik Carney, offensive lineman Brian Anderson, wide receiver Beau Corrales, defensive end Tomon Fox, defensive end Tyrone Hopper, offensive lineman Quiron Johnson, linebacker Malik Robinson and offensive lineman Jordan Tucker. Defensive backs Greg Ross and Tre Shaw will miss two games, and quarterback Jack Davidson and offensive lineman Jonah Melton will miss one.
Surratt, who was in contention to be the team’s starting quarterback, may have given up his chance to Nathan Elliott. While Coach Larry Fedora didn’t disclose future plans, he did share his thoughts on the incident.
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“I am certainly upset by our players’ actions and how their choices reflect on them, our program and the University,” Fedora said in a statement. “These young men knew the rules and are being held responsible for the poor choices they have made. Accountability is an important core principle in this program. We will learn from this and aim to do better in the future.”
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The team’s season opens at California on Sept. 1.
