After allegations of a violation of academic integrity, the football program and athletic department at West Texas A&M University are taking steps to move forward.
The allegations made by former backup placekicker Jose Azarte Jr. indicated that Azarte Jr. completed homework for former wide receiver Anthony Johnson and that Azarte Jr.’s parents took a Spanish test for Johnson. Azarte Jr. indicated, as reported in the Amarillo Globe-News, that former wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator Joel Hinton had pressured him to help his teammate with the assignments.
Azarte Jr. allegedly reported to WT and NCAA officials that Hinton promised him playing time if he helped Johnson pass the summer Spanish course. Hinton is no longer with the university following the allegations.
Internal investigations have been launched, and WT has notified the Lone Star Conference that the football program played an academically ineligible player in the first weeks of the season. The university requested the LSC apply a nullification penalty prior to conference playoffs, and the LSC nullified the five conference games in which the ineligible student-athlete played.
“We determined that we played an ineligible player, and we notified the NCAA,” Michael McBroom, athletic director, said. “We have applied the nullification penalty, which moved us to the bottom half of the bracket.”
McBroom said that is the result of playing an ineligible player. He said the university is reporting everything to the NCAA and LSC.
According to a statement released by the university, the nullification process will only affect WT’s conference win percentage for purposes of playoff seeding.
“The rest is still ongoing, and we are working closely with the NCAA to figure the rest of it out,” McBroom said.
WT student body president, Edward Akinyemi, gave a statement in regards to recent events.
“I am shocked that [academic dishonesty] happened here, but I am proud of how the athletic department is handling it and moving forward,” Akinyemi said.
The Buffs will host the McMurry War Hawks at 6 p.m. Nov. 8 at Happy State Bank field in Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in a rematch for the first round of the LSC playoffs.
