Walker Will Have Another Hearing With NCAA on Thursday
CHAPEL HILL – Tez Walker will get another chance at being cleared by the NCAA on Thursday, as a new committee will review his case, North Carolina Coach Mack Brown said during his weekly press conference Monday at the Kenan Football Center.
Walker, a transfer from Kent State deemed ineligible twice now by the NCAA as a “two-time” transfer, had his appeal denied last Thursday, so he missed the Tar Heels’ 31-17 victory over South Carolina in Charlotte this past Saturday night.
A different committee of college athletic department personnel not in Indianapolis will hear Walker’s case and decide on it this coming Thursday. As is procedure at the NCAA, most cases that reach this level are determined by a committee outside of the NCAA, but still part of the organization’s operation, as all schools comprise the NCAA.
After Thursday, UNC will no longer have any opportunities to work toward Walker’s eligibility on his behalf, but he could.
“From what I understand, he can have legal recourse, but we can’t,” Brown said. “I’m sure there are people looking into that but I just have to hope they do what’s right. He’s not a double transfer, he didn’t play at the first school, so that’s different, and we need to see it’s different.
“I look up and I see guys who are at their fourth school play on Saturday, and his situation is just different.”
Walker started out at North Carolina Central, but it didn’t play in the fall of 2020 or spring of 2021 because of Covid, so there was no opportunity for Walker to play in games because his school didn’t take part.
He transferred to Kent State and played two seasons with the Golden Flashes before heading to UNC last winter. Walker’s former schools have worked on his behalf sending letters supporting his eligibility at UNC, and noting why it made sense for him to leave those institutions.
“There was an NCAA group that we sent information to,” Brown said. “North Carolina Central sent a letter saying they understood why he transferred because they didn’t play during the season or the spring and they weren’t sure if they were going to play in ’21. The MEAC (NCCU’s conference) sent a letter saying if a team cancels their season, he is free to transfer.
“We felt like both of the would be reason enough, because the MEAC and Central said they feel like he should have a free transfer, and he didn’t play, and he didn’t have the opportunity to stay and play, then he should be eligible. That person in the NCAA office said they wouldn’t overturn his appeal because of those two letters.”
Kent State’s letter to the NCAA focused on the fact that Walker’s offensive coaches all left, and the relationship with his grandmother, who was unable to see him play at Kent, which is located in Ohio.
Brown and UNC have made multiple public pleas to the NCAA and new President Charlie Baker, and it has helped strongly sway public opinion in favor of Walker. National writers and pundits have spoken on his behalf, and even teammates have pushed a “#FreeTez” Twitter campaign for Walker.
So, when Brown learned last Thursday that Walker couldn’t play in the opener, he was devastated.
“I sat there and broke down when I heard he wasn’t going to play,” Brown said. “You have to think this guy has been through so much, and then he transfers and two days later they change the rule, so why isn’t he grandfathered in?
“Then he has a grandmother who has never seen him play, who is sick, he’s got 30 tickets for family members who are going to come to his game. His life dream is to play at Carolina, his life dream is to play at Panther stadium and he didn’t get to play. I just broke down, I couldn’t handle it.”
Walker, who is from Charlotte, had 30 family and friends at the game at Bank of America Stadium.
So, Walker and the Heels hope he can play this Saturday when UNC hosts Appalachian State at Kenan Stadium. And he will find out some time Thursday.