DeMarco Murray Suspended for NCAA Violations

DeMarco Murray, the running backs coach for the Oklahoma Sooners, has received a one-game suspension from the NCAA for violating COVID-era recruiting guidelines. Over a 16-month period, he made 65 impermissible phone calls and sent 36 unauthorized text messages to 17 prospects, mistakenly believing that a waiver allowing such contact was still in effect. Although head coach Brent Venables was implicated in the violations, he will not face punishment as the NCAA found that the coaching staff had been adequately educated on the rules. In addition to Murray's suspension, the football program has self-imposed penalties, including a reduction in recruiting days and a three-week ban on electronic communication during a designated period. The NCAA also discovered violations within the track and field program, leading to further penalties for former coach Tim Langford. The Oklahoma athletic department has stated that they promptly addressed the violations through their monitoring systems.