Cunningham’s Status Has Not Been Decided

A published report that Cal State Fullerton basketball player Jason Cunningham’s appeal for another year of eligibility had been denied is inaccurate, according to an NCAA spokesperson.

Cunningham had his appeal for a sixth year of college eligibility denied by the appeals representative assigned his case, but the matter is still pending.

“The case is not yet resolved,” said Carrie Doyle, NCAA director of student-athlete reinstatement, Thursday. “The institution appealed the case to the subcommittee on student-athlete reinstatement and that subcommittee has not indicated its decision on the appeal to the staff.”

Athletes are given five years to play four years of college sports. Cunningham was required by the NCAA to sit out one season--1996-97--because he had transferred from one four-year institution, Nevada Las Vegas, to another, Fullerton, even though he did not play at UNLV.

A 6-foot-5, 190-pound small forward, Cunningham averaged 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds in 25 games, including 14 as a starter.

Cunningham ended his prep career as the all-time leading scorer at Los Alamitos in 1992. He played the 1993-94 season at Westark College in Fort Smith, Ark., and the following season at Fullerton College, where he averaged 18.6 points, before attending UNLV.