Three Players Removed From Tar Heels Football Team

By Justin Worsley

North Carolina has announced that three players have been ruled ineligible this season following a scandal in which the players received improper benefits from agents.

Defensive lineman Marvin Austin has been kicked off the team while defensive lineman Robert Quinn and wide receiver Greg Little have been declared "permanently ineligible" by the NCAA.

All three players were expected to have a major impact on the team as the Tar Heels battled for the ACC title. Instead, North Carolina has been forced to play without them. None of the three players have played in a game this season.

The punishment handed down to these three players is not the end, either. North Carolina is also being investigated for academic violations. In the season opener against LSU, the Tar Heels had to keep 13 players out of the game.

According to the NCAA, Quinn and Little lied in three separate interviews with the NCAA about their meetings with agents. Both players were given jewelery and travel accommodations. Austin has allegedly received double the benefits of what Quinn and Little received.

The Associated Press has reported that athletic director Dick Baddour will not appeal the ruling.

Quinn and Austin were both top-ranked players for their position this season. Instead of being able to solidify their status, they may now lose out on the opportunity to be drafted early, potential costing both players millions of dollars.

Austin reportedly received between $10,000 and $13,000 in benefits.