Per B. David Ridpath, Sports Admin Prof, and NCAA reules expert
Based on the Yahoo report, the total of $470 isn’t nearly as big as some of the other players and payments listed in the report, but it is something the NCAA would have to adjudicate. Typically, Ridpath said, anything over $100 would trigger a payback and a game suspension for every $100 dollars over the first $100.
“There are a whole lot of moving parts here, but just looking at what has happened in the past, he would be have to pay back $370, which could be stretched out over the rest of his eligibility,” Ridpath said. “That money would go to the charity of the school’s choice which is approved by the NCAA. And then typically he’s looking at likely a three-game suspension.
“So, not hugely horrible by any stretch, but when you’re getting into the Dennis Smith level of $73,000, now we’re talking about a whole different ballgame.”
Smith, who played at North Carolina State, is one of six players listed in the report that received more than $10,000. His amount totaled more than $73,000, according to the report.
The amount attributed to Bridges’ parents is nowhere near that high and Ridpath believes Michigan State could put itself in a better position with the NCAA if it acted now
“If I was sitting there with Tom Izzo and everybody there in East Lansing, I would probably say, ‘Look, we have a few games coming up in the Big Ten tournament. I say we sit him now for three games. It shows that we’re being proactive,’” Ridpath said. “They could, on their own, even set up a repayment plan to show, again, the NCAA sometimes, at least, will look at that as a positive thing, that you’re taking proactive stances.”