A public reprimand has been issued to West Texas A&M for misuse of a credential during the 2021 NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
The Division II Softball Committee originally issued the reprimand and other penalties that West Texas A&M appealed to the Division II Appeals Subcommittee, which reviewed relevant materials, correspondence and statements made during a hearing.
The subcommittee agreed that a misconduct penalty was warranted because the athletics director directed an individual to return to the field, where a credential was required, after the Division II Softball Committee had revoked the individual's credential. The committee had noted that all parties were aware of the Division II Code of Conduct and members considered this an egregious violation of the policy.
Penalties for West Texas A&M include:
- Withholding of two days' per diem from its participation in the NCAA championship ($105 per day, for a total of $210).
- Disqualification from serving as a host school for the 2022 NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
The Appeals Subcommittee overturned a recommended misconduct penalty for West Texas A&M regarding an individual who was using video equipment to film from the dugout during a game. Subcommittee members noted the lack of clarity surrounding the circumstances of this allegation.
"The Appeals Subcommittee agreed with the Softball Committee regarding one of two misconduct findings and are disappointed in the actions taken by the West Texas A&M director of athletics in directing an individual who previously had a credential revoked to return to the field at the conclusion of the 2021 championship game," said Reid Amos, chair of the Division II Championships Committee and commissioner of the Mountain East Conference. "We expect athletics administrators to fully adhere to the Division II Code of Conduct while their programs are participating in NCAA Championships. While the circumstances surrounding this misconduct are unfortunate, we look forward to moving past this incident."