The NCAA is a gong show.
Numerous professional athletes have come forward and donated money to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was trying to do his part to help as well. The fine folks at the NCAA say no way...and put a stop to it.
Lawrence and his girlfriend,Marissa Mowry, launched a GoFundMe page on Monday afternoon aimed at providing relief and support for families impacted by COVID-19. They raised nearly $3,000 in a very short amount of time, but Mowry revealed on her Instagram account that the NCAA caught wind of the fundraiser and put a stop to it. A Clemson official confirmed to Matt Connolly of The State on Tuesday that using an athlete using his or her name, image and likeness for crowdfunding is prohibited by NCAA rules.
Can the NCAA fix it? Maybe
It’s possible for Mowry and Lawrence to seek a waiver from the NCAA to re-open the fundraiser, but they did not say whether or not they will pursue that.
This is not the first time NCAA rules have prevented something very good from happening, but the organization has reversed course on similar issues in the past. Hopefully some sort of exception can be made for Lawrence and other prominent collegiate athletes who want to help those who are struggling because of the pandemic.