NCAA Permits Financial Aid for Player’s Surgery : Titans: Everett Foundation will donate to charities of doctors who operated on Cal State Fullerton’s Bowen.

The NCAA has permitted the Jim Everett Charity Foundation to provide financial assistance to a Cal State Fullerton basketball player who underwent surgery two weeks ago, Fullerton Associate Athletic Director Leanne Grotke said Friday.

Bruce Bowen, a sophomore forward from Fresno, had a small polyp removed from the back of his throat on Oct. 25 and returned to practice this week.

When Everett, the Ram quarterback, read a newspaper story describing Bowen’s problem, Everett decided to offer to help. Bowen’s family didn’t have medical insurance, and because it was not a basketball-related injury, the school couldn’t pay for the operation under NCAA rules.

His nonprofit foundation made an arrangement under which the doctors who performed the surgery would donate their services, and Everett would donate their fees, about $3,200, to the charities of the doctors’ choice.

When informed of the arrangement two weeks ago, Rick Evrard, director of legislative services for the NCAA, said it might be in violation of NCAA regulations and could jeopardize Bowen’s eligibility.

But after examining the situation more closely, Evrard ruled that Everett’s aid is permissible under NCAA bylaws. Grotke said the NCAA forwarded its ruling to Fullerton on Thursday.

“I was obviously hoping they would permit this to happen,” Grotke said. “I’m very pleased Bruce doesn’t have to worry about the cost of the operation, and Jim Everett was able to help out. It’s kind of a win-win situation all the way around.”