Report: Former UNC official says grad school used to extend eligibility of athletes

The last thing the University of North Carolina needs right about now is another academic issue to further damage the school's credibility, but that's just what it's getting.

North Carolina is accused of keeping several players eligible to play in athletic competitions by placing them in graduate school, retroactively admitting some players and sidestepping regulations with others between 2002 and 2010, according to Dan Kane of The News & Observer.

The number of players to have gone through this process is unknown. The report details the stories of a football player, Michael Waddell, and a basketball player, Justin Knox, who were both kept eligible due to pressure from the athletics program.

The information comes from former graduate school admissions director, Cheryl Thomas, who provided documentation to support her claims to the NCAA for review.

In Waddell's case, Thomas alleges the former Tar Heels cornerback was placed in graduate school despite not taking the entrance exam, having a low GPA and being months past the deadline to be enrolled. The placement kept Waddell eligible for a fourth year, and he eventually failed out of graduate school after skipping classes and exams.

This report comes as the latest in a long line of accusations made against the culture at Chapel Hill, with the theme being that the university putts athletics ahead of academics.

As many felt North Carolina got off easy from the NCAA for past transgressions, this latest report will certainly draw the ire of onlookers.