INDIANAPOLIS — Marian University football's run in the NAIA playoffs is over — even though the Knights didn't lose a game.
The team was only two wins away from playing for the NAIA Football Championship. Now, their season is over. It's all due to an academically ineligible student-athlete.
WATCH FULL STORY BELOW
Marian University made the announcement on Thursday. They said an internal review by the athletic department discovered the eligibility issue, and the school self-reported the matter to the NAIA.
We reached out to the athletic department for more information about the incident. In a statement, Steve Downing, Director of Athletics for Marian University, said in part:
"We sincerely apologize to Keiser University, the NAIA, our student-athletes, and the Marian community that we cannot continue our season. This is a disappointing outcome for everyone involved. We regret the disruption it causes and are taking immediate steps to address the root causes."
The ineligible player reportedly played in three games for the Knights this season. The student-athlete was not identified by Marian, but reportedly had a course load that fell short of the NAIA's minimum for a full-time student status.
WRTV went to the university on Friday to get students' take on the situation. Many of them told us they were unaware this was going on. Some even said they didn't know Marian had a football team at all.
We reached out to the university for an interview. In a statement from President Daniel J. Elsener, it reads in part,
“I know how painful and frustrating this is for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and everyone who stands with the Knights. We deeply regret the circumstances that led to this outcome and the disruption it has caused for our team and community.”
Marian said it is conducting a full examination of its academic and compliance processes, with President Elsener saying the school wants to support its student-athletes and promising to be transparent about its findings.
We also reached out to the NAIA. They told us the ruling followed the standard NAIA legislative process and that Marian has officially been removed from the 2025 NAIA Football Championship Series.
Because of this decision, Keiser University - which Marian was supposed to face in a playoff game on December 6 - will now advance to the semifinal of the NAIA Football Championship Series.
Marian said they understand the team may be required to vacate up to three games in which the ineligible student-athlete competed.
Full statements from Steve Downing, President Elsener and the NAIA can be seen below.
"We sincerely apologize to Keiser University, the NAIA, our student-athletes, and the Marian community that we cannot continue our season. This is a disappointing outcome for everyone involved. We regret the disruption it causes and are taking immediate steps to address the root causes.As is often the case with inadvertent eligibility issues, multiple factors contributed to this situation. We have identified gaps in our processes, are implementing strengthened academic and eligibility checks, and will complete a formal internal review. Our coaches acted in good faith and were not previously aware of the eligibility violation."
"I write with a heavy heart to share an important and difficult update. On December 2, we self-reported to the NAIA that we had just learned a member of our football team had become ineligible to play after his course fell short of the NAIA requirement to maintain full-time student status.
I know how painful and frustrating this is for our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and everyone who stands with the Knights. We deeply regret the circumstances that led to this outcome and the disruption it has caused for our team and community.
While we have systems in place to prevent these issues, we take full responsibility for the breakdown that brought us to this point. We are conducting a full audit of our academic and compliance processes to determine exactly what failed. I assure you that we will take action to correct the issue and strengthen our procedures to prevent this from happening again.
We made the decision to self-report because the integrity of our program and our university is paramount. We are fully cooperating with the NAIA and are committed to supporting the student-athlete involved and our entire football program, which has worked tirelessly to build a top-notch program. We will be transparent about findings and next steps and will share updates as they become available.
Thank you for your passion, patience, and continued support for the Knights."
"The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics has received Marian University’s self-report of an eligibility violation within its football program. Marian will be removed from the 2025 NAIA Football Championship Series. While this outcome is certainly unfortunate, we appreciate Marian’s integrity and cooperation in addressing the issue quickly and transparently. With this adjustment to the postseason field, Keiser University will advance to the NAIA Football Championship Series Semifinals."
—
Casey Zanowic is the In Your Community reporter for North Side Indy. She joined WRTV in July of 2025. Casey has a passion for storytelling and is ready to showcase impactful stories that make a difference in her community. Share your story ideas and important issues with Casey by emailing her at casey.zanowic@wrtv.com.
