The NCAA says that six Wofford men's basketball players were not allowed to participate because they got illegal perks

The lawyer for four of the athletes stated that a Wofford bylaw was broken, not an NCAA rule.

The NCAA is denying a report that six Wofford men's basketball players were found ineligible because they got "impermissible benefits."

Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68 wrote an article on Thursday that said the unnamed players were allowed to use food plans that were meant for students living in dorms while they lived in flats off campus. The wrong benefits were worth between $84 and $108.

The NCAA's public relations department tweeted a quote in reaction to a piece on X that put together the initial story.

The NCAA claimed in its article, "This is not true."

"The NCAA did not suspend any student-athletes at [Wofford] or take any action against any athletic department staff at this school," the statement said.

Wofford has not said anything about players being ineligible.

Last week, the school fired Dwight Perry, the men's basketball coach, and Tysor Anderson, the associate head coach, for reasons that have not been made public. The Terriers had a record of 19-16 last season and won the Southern Conference tournament, which gave them an automatic spot in the NCAA tournament. Wofford lost to Tennessee in the first round after that.

Attorney Mark Peper, who is representing four of the players who were purportedly deemed ineligible and seven players altogether on the Wofford men's basketball squad, said that Wofford assured the six players that they would be living in upperclassmen dorms on campus. Five of them came from other schools.

Instead, the athletes were put in dorms for underclassmen and then rented an apartment off campus. Anderson told school administrators about the decision.

The five athletes were ordered to break their lease five days after autumn classes started at Wofford in order to stay eligible. On September 3, they did. Two weeks later, the athletes were told that the NCAA had found them ineligible because they lived off campus and used their meal plans on campus.

Peper told WYFF's Marc Whiteman in an interview that using the meal plans broke Wofford rules, not NCAA rules, and the players were never warned they couldn't use them.

The players also want Perry and Anderson to get their jobs back because they moved to Wofford to play for them.

Peper informed Whiteman, "Based on my investigation this week, there is nothing that shows Coach Perry was in danger of being fired as head coach at Wofford before this meal plan off-campus miscommunication."

"I can only speak for my players. They have all made it very clear, both in writing and in meetings this week with different administrators, that they are here to play for Coach Perry," he said.

NCAA rules say that Wofford men's basketball players have 30 days to enter the transfer portal once Perry is let go. Peper added that the players he represents would look into joining the portal if Perry and Anderson don't get their jobs back.

After Perry was fired, Drew Gibson, the assistant coach, was designated the temporary coach. If six or more players opt to leave, Wofford might not be able to field a team two months before the 2025–26 season is set to start.