MOULTRIE — Vance Cuff went to Athens on Monday expecting to enroll in summer school and prepare to begin his University of Georgia football career.
Instead, he returned to Moultrie unsure what his football future will be.
Cuff signed a letter of intent with Georgia in February, but found later that he was two core courses short of acceptance by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
He made up one course in summer school, but both he and school officials hoped an oral/written communication speech class, which was on the NCAA list of denied courses, would be approved as a core course, giving him the required 14.
Colquitt County head football coach Tim Cokely said Monday that the course appeared on the approved list of approved core courses on Colquitt County High’s Form 48H on Monday, July 2, leading him and Cuff to believe that the former Packers receiver/defensive back would be eligible to play at Georgia this fall.
Cokely said he even received a call from the compliance official at the University of Georgia, congratulating him on having the course approved.
“He told me, ‘We’re looking forward to having Vance up here,’” Cokely said.
But, Cokely said, at 3:30 p.m. Monday, as Cuff was trying to enroll in summer school, the oral/written communication/speech class was suddenly moved from the approved list of courses to the denied list, leaving Cuff one core course short of the necessary 14.
Cokely said school officials contacted NCAA officials on Monday to find out why the course was on the approved list for six days, but was then moved back to the denied list.
He said he has not received a satisfactory answer.
Cokely said the same course is on the approved list of core courses at several other schools, including Houston County, Tift County and Coffee.
“It makes no sense,” Cokely said Monday. “Vance should be up there working with the team.”
Cokely said the NCAA decision could leave Cuff with few options. He said that it was his understanding that a prep school can only be used to improve a player’s grade point average or test score, not get a core subject.
Junior college appears to be his only other option, Cokely said.
Cokely said Colquitt County Principal Bob Jones appealed the of the course last month.
It was the second time its inclusion on the denied list has been appealed.
According to Colquitt County High’s Form 48H on the NCAA Clearinghouse website, the course was on the denied list because it “does not meet a graduation requirement in one of the specified core areas.”
Cokely disputes that reason for denial and pointed out the Houston County Form 48 that includes the course.
And when the course appeared to have been added to the approved list last week, Cokely said he felt confident Cuff would be approved and sent him to Athens to enroll in summer school.
He said he expected to receive confirmation on Monday that Cuff was approved.
The NCAA decision has left the Packers third-year coach “seething,” he said.
“It caught us off-guard,” Cokely said. “We were sure he was going to be approved.
“But they wouldn’t allow him to enroll.”
Cokely said he plans to meet with Cuff and Schools Superintendent Leonard McCoy today.
“I feel strongly that he belongs at Georgia,” Cokely said. “We’ll continue to pursue the issue with Georgia.”
Local Sports
NCAA decision leaves Cuff in limbo
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Lamb signs to run at Columbus State
When Colquitt County High’s Heath Lamb signed in 2010 to run cross country at Darton College, he said that one of his goals was to be able to run faster.
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Lamb signed this week with Columbus State University. -
Going to be a Blazer
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Packers work out
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Seventh-grade basketball teams advance to title games
The Colquitt County boys and girls seventh-grade basketball teams won South Georgia Athletic Conference semifinal games at the Willie J. Williams Middle School gymnasium on Thursday and will play for championships on Saturday in Douglas.
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