UK was fined for playing Dontaie Allen while ineligible, per report

Nov 27, 2022 - 2:51 PM

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Earlier this week, Western Kentucky announced that Dontaie Allen was being held out of competition due to an issue that arose while he was still with the Kentucky Wildcats.

“Dontaie Allen will not be available while an eligibility matter related to his previous school and conference is clarified,” the school said in a statement. “We hope to have the situation resolved soon.”

Now, Western Kentucky head coach Rick Stansbury has addressed the situation in detail, saying that UK played Allen while he was ineligible last season before entering the transfer portal and committing to the Hilltoppers.

Apparently, the redshirt junior had a grade issue that made his ineligible during the 2021-22 fall semester in Lexington.

“Kentucky played him (Allen) seven games when he was ineligible,” Stansbury said. “Their coaches didn’t know it. Compliance didn’t know. So how does the kid know it?

“Nobody can say the kid is at fault for not getting his grades. He didn’t know. If the adults in the room didn’t know, he didn’t know.”

Stansbury also revealed that Kentucky was fined for playing Allen in seven games while ineligible, which is why Allen must now sit out seven games at Western Kentucky.

“Kentucky got their punishment. They got fined $500 per game for seven games ($3,500 total) but we are the ones getting punished now. The kid is the one getting punished.”

The sad part is Allen played a whopping 25 minutes in those seven games, but it was enough to keep him out of competition at his new school for the time being.

That’s the NCAA for you.

Be sure to check out Stansbury’s full comments below via Patrick Carey.

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