CHARLOTTE, N.C. — University of North Carolina transfer wide receiver Tez Walker is now eligible to play the remainder of the season for the Tar Heels, the NCAA announced Thursday.
Walker missed the first four games of the season after the NCAA ruled his transfer from Kent State to UNC violated the organization's transfer rules. Walker began his college career at North Carolina Central but did not suit up for the team because the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Having only played for one school, Walker and North Carolina officials argued he should've been cleared at the beginning of the season. Plus, the NCAA changed its transfer rule after Walker enrolled at UNC, retroactively making him ineligible for the 2023 season.
The NCAA said Thursday that it received "new information" regarding Walker's case and determined he does qualify for a transfer waiver. As such, he will be immediately eligible, starting with this week's game against Syracuse. He was ruled ineligible upon appeal just two days before the Tar Heels' season-opening game against South Carolina.
"It is unfortunate that UNC failed to provide this important information previously," the NCAA's statement reads. "While we must be careful not to compromise a student-athlete's right to privacy when it comes to sensitive issues, we want to assure the Division I membership and everyone watching how the new transfer rules are applied, that this meets the new transfer waiver standards. UNC's behavior and decision to wage a public relations campaign is inappropriate and outside the bounds of the process UNC's own staff supported. Had the UNC staff not behaved in this fashion and submitted this information weeks ago, this entire unfortunate episode could have been avoided."
Walker's case drew national attention, including a call from Gov. Roy Cooper to grant the Charlotte immediately eligibility. Cooper responded to the decision Thursday, saying it was "better late than never."
"Good to see the NCAA reverse course and finally grant permission for native North Carolinian Tez Walker to play in his home state," Cooper posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "Good for him and for college sports."
The guidelines revealed by the NCAA in January stated that "multiple-time transfers who cannot demonstrate and adequately document a personal need for medical or safety reasons to depart the previous school are not eligible to compete immediately following their second undergraduate transfer."
Walker is from Charlotte and served as the primary caregiver for his grandmother when he was in high school. He has been receiving mental health counseling since enrolling at North Carolina, and according to UNC AD Bubba Cunningham both North Carolina and Kent State "have provided overwhelming evidence detailing his mental health needs" while also pointing out the waiver requirements were put in place after he already made the decision to transfer and enroll at UNC.