Yes this is off-topic integrating softballl and men's basketball at another school but it is related to illegal activities plus not enough income for softball players to enrolling an athlete who lacks the ability to do the basic college work. does the softball team need to be put on probation for two years, while the money-making basketball team does not?
The NCAA placed Memphis softball on probation for two years after an investigation discovered two student-athletes committed academic integrity violations.
Ally Callahan and Aaliyah Dixon were reportedly paid by former academic advisor Leslie Brooks to do coursework for men's basketball player Malcolm Dandridge,
according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal.
The NCAA found that Brooks paid the softball players $150 for an assignment for Dandridge’s Intro to Theatre course. It also found that the former advisor paid them $400 to take three tests for Dandridge as part of a Health/Sport Terminology course.
Brooks was fired on Feb. 23, 2024, and has received a 10-year show-cause penalty.
"I would like to thank our staff who worked swiftly and collaboratively with the NCAA to take appropriate action and implement corrective measures," Memphis president Bill Hardgrave said in a prepared statement. "The University of Memphis is committed to a culture of compliance with all NCAA rules and will move our program forward accordingly."
The school's athletic department was also fined $30,000, and the NCAA took away 1 percent of the budget for both programs.
As a result of the major infraction, the softball program has to vacate records for all contests in which the two players played during the 2024 season while ineligible. Fortunately, or unfortunately, the Tigers didn't win any games during that span.
Callahan appeared in four games before the athletic department began investigating. She had two seasons eligibility remaining and didn't appear in another game for the Tigers.
The catcher from Hernando, Miss,, was in the middle of her first season with the Tigers are transferring from Central Arkansas. She hit .250 for Memphis with one hit in four at-bats.
However, Dixon appeared in nine of the Tigers’ first 10 games. The day after Brooks was fired, she missed 29 games and returned to the lineup on April 19, appearing in the team's last 11 games of the season.
Dixon finished the year batting .265 across 19 games. She recorded 13 hits with two doubles, a triple and a run batted in,
The infractions occurred during the final season of Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro tenure at the helm of the Tigers program. Prothro resigned on June 17, 2024, after two underwhelming seasons in Memphis.