Gophers football: UCLA breaks Big Ten policy on availability reports
PASADENA, Calif — Big Ten programs are responsible for providing accurate lists of which players will not play and those who are questionable to play in games. It appears UCLA has violated the standard on Saturday.
The Bruins listed junior receiver Titus Mokiao-Atimalala as out on its pregame availability report, but the junior receiver was playing against the Gophers on Saturday night at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mokiao-Atimalala had a 13-yard reception on last drive of second quarter that led to the Bruins taking a 10-0 lead on Minnesota.
Since the start of the 2023 season, Big Ten schools are required to submit reports to the conference office to be published; the conference then puts out the report roughly two hours before kickoff.
It’s unclear what discipline UCLA might face for violating the availability report guidelines.
Last week, Southern California coach Lincoln Riley, a new member of the Big Ten, was asked about availability reports in the league and he said he felt they were a good thing, if programs did them them honestly.
In 2023, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti issued a statement on availability reports: “The well-being of our students, coaches, and staff, as well as the integrity of our competitions are of paramount importance. Enhanced transparency through availability reporting and partnering with U.S. Integrity (USI) strengthens our efforts to protect those who participate in our games as well as the integrity of the games themselves. I’m grateful for the collaboration of our schools, coaches, and administrators.”
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