SDSU Suspends Malik Pope for Alleged Impermissible Benefits

San Diego State announced senior forward Malik Pope has been suspended from team activities after a report surfaced saying he received a $1,400 loan from a sports agent.The allegations stem from an ongoing federal investigation that includes more than 20 Division-I schools and more than 25 current and former NCAA players. Note with ‘Ugly’ Slur Left on Scripps Ranch Student’s Locker Pope was accused of accepting the loan, which the NCAA classifies as an impermissible benefit that violates their “amateurism” rule. It was reported that he received the loan his sophomore season in 2015-16 following a standout freshman year that left many at the time talking about him being a potential first-round pick in the NBA Draft.In return, Pope and others named were expected to sign with former NBA agent Andy Miller’s agency ASM when they turned pro. Car Splits in Two in Deadly Clairemont Crash In September, then USC assistant coach and former SDSU assistant basketball coach Tony Bland was arrested on federal corruption charges after allegedly receiving $13,000 from Christian Dawkins, a former Miller associate and former NBA player agent to steer their star players towards certain sports agents and financial advisors.The Aztecs are at San Jose State on Saturday and have two more games left this season before the Mountain West Tournament begins in March. SDSU said Pope did not travel with the team and it will conduct an internal investigation into the allegations. Motorcyclist Hit by Semi-Truck in Otay Mesa Dies Photo Credit: Getty Images
Source: NBC San Diego