Oklahoma State Women’s Tennis Team Faces NCAA Disciplinary Action
The women’s tennis team at Oklahoma State University has been handed a significant disciplinary action by the NCAA, entering a three-year probationary period due to violations in recruiting practices. This decision stems from the actions of Chris Young, the director of tennis and head coach for the women’s team, who was found to have improperly reached out to prospective transfer athletes prior to their entry into the transfer portal.
Additionally, he instructed a player to refrain from cooperating with an ongoing investigation, which breaches regulations governing head coach responsibilities.
The NCAA’s findings were first revealed by College Tennis Nation.
Financial Penalties and Recruiting Restrictions
In response to these infractions, Oklahoma State will incur a financial penalty amounting to $35,000, along with an additional charge equating to 1% of the budget allocated for the women’s tennis program. The institution will also implement a reduction in the allowed number of official visits, cutting it by 18% based on past averages over the last four years.
To further address the issue, Oklahoma State has decided to suspend all unofficial visits for a period of ten weeks during the spring semester of 2025, and will also limit off-campus recruiting efforts for the same duration throughout the 2024-25 academic year. Recruiting communications will be restricted for three weeks within the 2024-25 academic calendar, along with an extended ban of seven weeks during the upcoming school year.
Consequences for Coach Young
In addition to these penalties, Coach Young will have to comply with a show-cause order lasting four years, which prohibits him from making contact with potential transfers during the month of December each year of the order. Furthermore, he faces a suspension from two regular-season matches during the 2025-26 season.
Vacating Wins and Records
As part of the probation, the team will need to vacate all wins and records from matches that involved the improperly recruited transfer player, who has not been publicly identified by either the university or the NCAA. Representatives from Oklahoma State declined to comment further on the matter.
Media Coverage
Scott Wright, who covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman, has been following this developing story. Those interested in sharing story ideas or supporting his work can reach him via email at swright or on Twitter. To support The Oklahoman’s journalism, readers are encouraged to purchase a digital subscription at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
