NCAA Restores Minnesota, Tennessee Players’ Eligibility

The National Collegiate Athletic Assn. announced that it has restored the eligibility of two football players at the University of Minnesota and 44 players at the University of Tennessee.

Minnesota quarterback Rickey Foggie, who was declared ineligible Tuesday by his school because the athletic department had purchased an airline ticket for him, will now be able to start in the Gophers’ season opener Saturday against Bowling Green, as will reserve linebacker Don Pollard, who had been declared ineligible for a similar but separate violation.

Athletic Director Paul Giel said NCAA representatives told him that members of the NCAA Eligibility Committee were convinced that neither Foggie nor Pollard had intentionally committed a violation of NCAA rules.

Tennessee had declared its players ineligible for violations of NCAA rules regarding tickets. Ten players were held out of Tennessee’s first game last Saturday, a 35-21 win over New Mexico.