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The Daily Tar Heel

NCAA appeal rulings loom for two UNC football players

Baddour expects calls this week

The University’s appeal to the NCAA on its suspensions of Kendric Burney and Deunta Williams has yet to be scheduled, North Carolina athletic director Dick Baddour said Tuesday.

Baddour said the paperwork to appeal the six and four game suspensions of Burney and Williams, respectively, was sent to the NCAA at the end of last week, but the University has not been informed on when the appeal will take place.

“It’ll have to be a conference call,” said Baddour, who last week referred to the rulings as harsh. “My expectation is that it would take place this week.”

On UNC’s side of the appeal, three people will be present on the call: Baddour, assistant athletic director for compliance Amy Herman and the suspended student athlete.

Baddour said both Burney and Williams will be treated on a case-by-case basis and not appeal as a group.

The current suspensions include the three games both players have already missed, with Williams slated to return Oct. 9 against Clemson and Burney on Oct. 23 against Miami.

On Sept. 22, the NCAA handed down its ruling on the senior defensive backs after they violated NCAA rules regarding agent benefits and preferential treatment. Burney received $1,333 in extra benefits, while Williams received $1,426.

The benefits included, in part, two trips to California for Williams, who visited Disneyland, and trips to California, Las Vegas and Atlanta for Burney.

Former UNC football player Chris Hawkins, who has been interviewed by NCAA investigators, told The Daily Tar Heel last week that Burney’s visit to Atlanta was to former UNC football player Mahlon Carey.

The two suspended players, Hawkins and Carey, are part of Rude Boyz, an unofficial group of former and current UNC defensive backs.

Baddour could neither confirm nor deny the University and the NCAA were closer to ruling or clearing the remaining nine Tar Heels who have yet to compete in 2010 while their eligibility is determined. He also said he does not know if head coach Butch Davis will have more players in Saturday’s game against East Carolina.

“There are things underway that might happen, and there are things underway that might not happen,” Baddour said. “I don’t know how to put it terms of being closer.

“We’ll have to wait and see.”

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.

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