Scoggins: Mohammed Bati’s inspirational story hits another plot twist, but he soldiers on

Mohammed Bati completed his customary 10-mile run Monday morning after working a graveyard shift. Not even drowsiness or a blast of snow can prevent him from doing what he loves.

The NCAA is a different story.

A star athlete at Augsburg, Bati is ineligible to compete in the indoor and outdoor track seasons because he unwittingly violated an NCAA rule.

The misdeed?

He accepted a $6,000 donation from a GoFundMe campaign to help pay his tuition last semester.

“I didn’t do any unnecessary things,” Bati told me in an interview on campus Monday. “I just get support from people who care about me. They have a kind heart.”

That act of kindness eventually found its way to the NCAA offices for review. NCAA bylaws for Division III state that “it is not permissible for a donor to contribute funds to provide financial aid for student-athletes.”

College sports have experienced transformational change in the past five years, which makes Bati’s case so tone-deaf and sanctimonious.

The NCAA now allows college athletes to earn seven-figure salaries and transfer multiple times without penalty. Baylor men’s basketball just added to its roster center James Nnaji, who was selected No. 31 in 2023 NBA draft by the Pistons but never signed an NBA contract after having his rights moved in multiple trades. He played several seasons professionally overseas before being cleared to return to college.

And yet NCAA rules punish a young man because he didn’t have enough money to pay for school and accepted help from a running community that adores him.

Yes, there are major differences between Division I and Division III regarding regulations. Common sense and empathy should be universal.

“I’m just sad because [people] helped me and seeing this as if they did something wrong,” Bati said. “When someone helps you, they’re not supposed to see that as a wrong thing. They don’t deserve that.”

Augsburg officials provided a statement acknowledging the intent of rules restricting financial support in Division III athletics.

“At the same time, we also recognize that these rules may unintentionally create barriers for low-income or first-generation student-athletes, limiting opportunity and access to higher education and intercollegiate athletics not because of performance, but because of financial circumstances,” the statement read.

“We would welcome consideration from the NCAA about potential adjustments to the financial aid rules to allow greater flexibility around aid sources when a student-athlete can demonstrate financial need.”

Money got tight for Bati over the summer, and he needed assistance paying tuition. His former high school coach organized a GoFundMe and enlisted help of prominent people in the running community, including Minnesota legend Carrie Tollefson.

The irony is, Bati would be clear to compete if that $6,000 had come in the form of a Name, Imagine and Likeness agreement. But since the money generated from a crowdfunding drive, a line was crossed.

Here are some things the NCAA should know about Bati …

He moved to the United States from Ethiopia as a teenager in search of a better opportunity. He spoke no English. He learned a new language, graduated high school and enrolled in college to study nursing because he has a desire to help people, especially the elderly.

He found a home at Augsburg and worked tirelessly to develop into an elite runner. On Nov. 1, he became the first men’s athlete in MIAC history to win four conference titles in cross-country. Notice, he never transferred.

He works at an assisted living facility five days a week, 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. He takes the overnight shift to accommodate a training schedule that calls for 150 miles of running per week. He doesn’t sleep much.

He gained his U.S. citizenship through naturalization two years ago and dreams of representing the United States in the Olympics. He recently qualified for the U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon.

The door hasn’t slammed shut on his college career.

Augsburg can file an official reinstatement request to the NCAA. Those requests are typically granted, and one imagines Bati’s case would be a lock to get approved. Augsburg’s indoor track competition season begins Jan. 10.

Bati said Monday that he’s ready “to move on.” He’s frustrated that he’s even in this position and must plead his case for reinstatement. He also feels unwanted as a competitor.

“I never give up,” he said. “I’m not the kind of person.”