SPRINGFIELD, Mo–It’s been almost a year and a half since Nyla Milleson took over as Drury’s athletic director.
At the time, she didn’t know she had walked into a certification mess resulting in probation and vacated championships.
Thursday night, the NCAA announced those sanctions.
Milleson has corrected the problem and vows to move Drury forward.
Colleges and universities have to certify their athletes in order to compete in the NCAA.
During the 2019 through 2022 athletic seasons, Drury’s compliance department failed to properly certify 50 athletes over 14 different sports.
“It was just an unfortunate situation that during that period of time we had the inability to make sure it was done to the process and procedure that it need to be,” said Milleson.
Most of the athletes were eligible, but not certified properly.
That mistake will cost almost every sport wins during that three year period.
The Drury mens swimming team will have to vacate it’s national runner up title.
Milleson:”I think it’s important to note that at no time was this the fault of the student athletes or of our coaches in any way. As far as they knew they were certified and they were fine. It’s just unfortunate that their career and their year, several games, a season will be marred by an asterisk.”
One sport spared was the womens basketball team.
The Lady Panthers were 88-7 in that time and won three GLVC championships.
In 2021, Drury lost in the national championship game.
“It does not effect womens basketball. Fortunately it was one of the sports where all the student athletes were certified. There really wasn’t any rhymn or reason as to who was or wasn’t. You hate it for all the sports, particularly the swimming program.. I really hate it for all 14 teams and student athletes who were involved,” said Milleson.
The Panthers were fined $5,000 dollars and put on three years probation.
But moving forward, Drury will be able to compete in GLVC and NCAA D2 championship tournaments.
“At the end of the day we have to be better as a department moving forward…We’re going to be the high character athletic department that we are and we’ll be better moving forward,” said Milleson.
