“Gift Cards” Made Alabama High School Football Team To Forfeit The Game
A high school football team in Alabama has forfeited a victory after the school handed gift cards to several players.
“Gift Cards” Made Alabama High School Football Team To Forfeit The Game
Tuscaloosa County head coach Adam Winegarden stated the gift cards were given to the players following the team’s victory over Central-Tuscaloosa. Tuscaloosa County is a 7A team from Alabama that beat Bessemer City in Week 2 this season.
“We got a call from the (Alabama High School Athletic Association) that we had some athletes recognized by receiving some cards to eat at Buffalo Wild Wings,” Winegarden said via NJ.com. “Since they received those gift cards, it broke their status as amateur athletes.”
An Alabama high school football team was forced to forfeit a 22-point win after it was discovered a few players were awarded Buffalo Wings Wings gift cards.
The worst part? The coach says the gift cards were never even used.https://t.co/FnVlZX3D8B
— OutKick (@Outkick) September 20, 2023
When the athletes got the presents, their status shifted from amateur to professional, which is against Alabama High School Athletic Association guidelines.
According to the AHSAA’s Amateur Rule, only amateurs are permitted to compete in league-sanctioned tournaments.
“Professionalism is defined as accepting remuneration, either directly or indirectly, for playing on athletic teams and in sports activities, or for playing under an assumed name,” according to the AHSAA.
Alabama high school football team forfeits games after players receive gift cards: 'This really stings' https://t.co/DUqR9rdCm3
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 16, 2023
Two of the kids who received the cards participated in Tuscaloosa County’s 55-33 win against Bessemer City in violation of the Amateur Rule because they were non-amateurs participating in a high school game, causing the school to lose its Sept. 1 victory.
According to Winegarden, the AHSAA discovered the gift cards when another school informed the organization about Tuscaloosa County’s probable infraction. Some social media posts showed Tuscaloosa County athletes holding gift cards.
Winegarden stated that he would have wanted to hear from the school that reported the suspected infringement before going to the organization.
An Alabama high school football team has been forced to forfeit a game after the school recognized players for their performances in a Week 1 win with gift cards from a restaurant, which is a direct violation of Rule I, Section 8(e) of the AHSAA Handbook. https://t.co/fiTbiY8LsB
— Daniel S. Greene, Esq. (@DanGreene15) September 15, 2023
“We are really disappointed we didn’t get a call from the school which turned us in,” Winegarden said. Following an appeals process, the student-athletes who received gift cards have been reinstated and are eligible to play, he said.
Tuscaloosa County’s overall record fell to 2-1. On Friday night, the team will face Hewitt-Trussville.
According to AL.com, an anonymous school alerted the AHSAA of the probable rules violation based on social media posts, and Winegarden was dissatisfied that the school never contacted Tuscaloosa County.
https://twitter.com/worldlive_live/status/1702855115751751752
“It should be understood that the NCAA’s NIL does NOT apply to current high school student-athletes,” the memo from the AHSAA to the school said. “Current high school student-athletes CANNOT earn money or accept money (cash, check, Venmo, Apple Pay, gift cards, checks, etc.) as a result of their connection to their high school team.
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