Wake Forest baseball coach Tom Walter donated a kidney to one of his players Kevin Jordan. In the heart felt story, the freshmen outfielder learned he suffered from ANCA vasculitis, which can lead to kidney failure. Jordan had to be placed on dialysis and struggled to complete his first semester. After no one in his family was a match, Walter volunteered to be his donor…. but had to get it cleared with the NCAA first.
Under NCAA Manual, Article 16.03.3: “any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution’s athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete’s relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation.”
According to Wake Forest Associate Athletic Director Todd Hairston, “The possibility crossed our mind, so we did our due diligence… When you look at the definition of an extra benefit I can see how that can cross someone’s mind. But it’s a student well-being issue, and that supersedes any concerns that people might have had.”
Walter calls the opportunity “divine intervention,” and college sports fans can rest easy that receiving a kidney or $100,000 to sign with a school’s football team is okay by the NCAA.
