The North Carolina Tar Heels can breathe easy knowing that their star wide receiver Dwight Jones is now eligible to play in the upcoming Independence Bowl against the Missouri Tigers. He was temporarily ruled ineligible for allowing his likeness to appear on a poster for a local club, breaking a rule that prohibits college athletes from endorsing any event or product with their image.
Andrew Carter writes, "North Carolina had declared Jones ineligible after he allowed his name and likeness to be used to promote a New Year’s Eve birthday party in his honor at a club in Burlington, his hometown. By allowing his name and image to be used on a flier promoting the party, Jones had committed a secondary NCAA violation.
“After the flier surfaced Monday on the popular sports website Deadspin.com, Withers and other North Carolina officials began talks with the NCAA about Jones’ status. North Carolina announced on Tuesday that it had ruled Jones ineligible, and that it had applied with the NCAA for his reinstatement.”