The NCAA issued its first ruling in a name, image and likeness infractions case Friday, wading into what until now had been uncharted waters in terms of rules enforcement. While a head coach was suspended and other minor institutional penalties assessed, an involved booster escaped sanctions—an outcome that left the Committee on Infractions itself conflicted.
A case involving Miami women’s basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder reached a negotiated resolution that resulted in a three-game suspension for Hurricanes coach Katie Meier, which she served at the beginning of the 2022-23 season. The Cavinder twins, who are social media sensations with a vast following, were not sanctioned—which is consistent with the NCAA’s stance that it does not plan to penalize athletes themselves for NIL-adjacent infractions.
Perhaps most significantly, prominent Miami booster John Ruiz, who violated rules by contacting the Cavinders and providing an impermissible meal, was not disassociated from the program. The penalty, even absent a dissociation, was reluctantly approved by the Committee on Infractions, which often is charged with assessing penalties. However, this case was a negotiated resolution between the school and NCAA Enforcement, which left the COI in a position of either accepting or rejecting the outcome. It chose to accept, but expressed its reservations in an unusual preamble to the case synopsis.
