Basketball coaches around the country responded instantly to University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson's plea for T-shirts and shoes to help clothe the victims of Hurricane Harvey.
The cause behind the effort would appear unassailable, but the NCAA apparently is concerned. Houston senior associate athletics director Lauren Dubois told KHOU Friday that the school has had to funnel donations it has received to third-party organizations due to concerns it might be punished by the governing body.
“They don’t want us sending all this nice gear to the top recruit in Houston," Dubois said. "But, obviously that is not our intention at all.”
The school has asked the NCAA for a waiver that would allow it to distribute donations directly to those in need, but has not yet received a response.
