Sophomore forward Miles Bridges was initially ruled ineligible by MSU after the university’s compliance office uncovered an NCAA violation. An internal investigation by the university found members of Bridges’ family had dinner with an agent, which violated NCAA rules.
In a statement released Monday, the probe found Bridges was not aware his family had a $40 dinner with an agent in the winter of the 2016-17 season, when he was a freshman.
To reinstate Bridges, he was required to pay the value of the dinner to a charity of his choice. MSU applied for reinstatement with the NCAA and was informed Saturday afternoon Bridges could play the rest of the season.
“While it is not unusual for reinstatement cases to be handled within a day, Michigan State appreciates the NCAA taking swift action,” Matt Larson, MSU Associate Athletics Director for communications, said via email. “Last winter (2016-17), Bridges’ family members had dinner with an agent, without Bridges’ knowledge. As part of the reinstatement process, Bridges was required to pay $40 (value of dinner) to a charity of his choice.”
It was a separate incident from one uncovered by a Yahoo Sports article published Friday, which cited expense reports from Christian Dawkins, associate of former NBA agent Andy Miller, which alleged Miles Bridges’ mother, Cynthia, took an advance in the amount of $400. Another entry in the expense report alleged Dawkins paid for a meal for Bridges' parents for the amount of $70.05 at the Redwood Lodge in Flint.
According to the statement released Monday, the university deemed those reports false.
“In the course of Friday’s internal investigation, while it was determined that the allegations detailed in the Yahoo! Sports report were not true, the MSU compliance office did uncover an NCAA violation,” Larson said in the statement. “Per standard operating procedures, Miles Bridges was declared ineligible and MSU applied for reinstatement. On Saturday afternoon, MSU received word that Bridges had been reinstated by the NCAA.”
Cynthia Bridges, whom The State News attempted to contact Friday, has yet to return a message.
Miles Bridges said to reporters after Sunday’s 68-63 win at Wisconsin, which clinched MSU’s first outright Big Ten regular season championship since 2009, he or his mother never took any extra benefits from Dawkins.
Yahoo also alleged Dawkins personally met with Miles Bridges in July 2016. Bridges said the meeting never took place and denied knowing Dawkins.
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