BREAKING: NCAA denies Kristian Fulton's appeal
The NCAA has denied Kristian Fulton's appeal to overturn a two-year suspension handed out for failing a drug test prior to the 2017 season.
The Fulton Family hired attorney Don Maurice Jackson to take over the case last summer and filed for a reconsideration hearing in July amid new evidence found in the case. Per Jackson, there was an error in the test collection process, which invalidated the suspension.
The family, including Kristian and Jackson, were involved a teleconference hearing on Thursday afternoon, but the NCAA committee denied the appeal and maintained the two-year ban, which would keep Fulton sidelined for the entirety of the upcoming season at LSU, according to Sports Illustrated.
Fulton is a projected starter for the Tigers in 2018 -- a much-needed one to plug in opposite All-American cornerback Greedy Williams. Fulton has been taking reps with both the first and second teams during fall camp, which got underway on Saturday.
In his place, sophomores Kary Vincent Jr., Jontre Kirklin and Mannie Netherly have seen action along with Stanford graduate transfer Terrance Alexander and freshman Kelvin Joseph. Coaches have inferred that Fulton would be a starter in the secondary, if eligible.
Fulton was originally handed this suspension in February 2017 after substituting another person's urine for his own during an NCAA-mandated drug test. Attorneys from LSU were on the teleconference Thursday and requested immediate eligibility for the junior cornerback. LSU also admitted to failing to educate Fulton on the two-year suspension and has since updated its substance abuse policy in light of this punishment, according to the report.
LSU's substance abuse policy has been modified to now include for an extra failed test before penalties are allotted. In other words, a player can fail three tests -- instead of two -- before a fourth turns into a 10-percent loss of competition (or one football game).
Jackson, an attorney of with The Sports Group based in Alabama, previously told TigerDetails he was very optimistic that Fulton would be granted immediate eligibility for the upcoming football season. After that appeal was denied by the NCAA, the attorney indicated that they will seek a waiver to get him back on the field beginning on Friday.
LSU released this statement in the aftermath of the Fulton reconsideration hearing:
"LSU Athletics officials, along with Kristian Fulton and his legal representative, today made a second appeal to an NCAA committee for reconsideration of its ruling in this matter. That request has been denied by the committee. LSU Athletics officials are continuing to review the case."