Quincy University on probation after allowing over 100 ineligible students to participate in sports

QUINCY (WGEM) – Quincy University has to pay a $5,000 fine and spend two years on probation after the NCAA issued sanctions tied to more than 120 ineligible student-athletes who were allowed to play for the school.

The problem first surfaced in August 2024 when staff preparing the men’s and women’s soccer roster lists discovered three players had not received the required amateurism certification. That same day, another school alerted QU’s athletics office that a transfer student from Quincy also lacked the certification. The athletic office then launched a broader review.

What began as a handful of missing documents quickly grew. The department found potential eligibility problems for 95 student-athletes during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years. In November 2024, the department self-reported the findings to the NCAA and cooperated with an investigation.

The NCAA report names former Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Taylor Zerbe as central to the violations. Zerbe admitted to changing 74 student-athletes’ eligibility certifications and told investigators she felt overwhelmed by the workload. According to the report, she did not raise those concerns with her supervisor. Zerbe also admitted to knowing some athletes were ineligible when she altered their certification. She was not employed by QU when the problems were discovered.

QU’s internal review reached back to the 2021-22 school year, which coincided with Zerbe’s employment. That review uncovered additional violations. Overall, the NCAA says Zerbe falsified eligibility squad lists and that QU improperly certified 121 student-athletes across 17 sports.

The report details several consequences for those athletes: 93 practiced beyond the allowable 45-day period, 78 competed when they were not eligible, and 26 received financial aid while ineligible. The university also allowed 27 student-athletes to compete before their eligibility was formally reinstated, and two transfer student-athletes competed despite not meeting transfer eligibility rules.

QU and the NCAA agreed to a set of penalties intended to correct the system and increase transparency. In addition to the $5,000 fine and two-years probation, the school must tell prospective student-athletes in writing that the program is on probation and disclose the violations.

• Vacate any wins, records or participation that involved ineligible student-athletes from the time those athletes became ineligible until they were reinstated.
• Prevent head coaches from counting wins from games where ineligible athletes competed toward milestone totals (for example, a coach’s 100th win).
• Allow individuals who were eligible to keep any personal records or awards they earned.
• Undergo a comprehensive external review of certification and eligibility procedures during the probation period.

The NCAA report contains the full list of prescribed penalties.

Regarding Zerbe, the NCAA has barred her for two years from working at a member institution in any role that involves eligibility certification responsibilities.

QU declined on-camera interviews, but Athletic Director Josh Rabe told WGEM the university acted with integrity by self-reporting and taking steps to address the problem. Rabe said the department has tightened procedures and added what he called “a double-check to check the double-check.”

QU released the following statement:

Below is the full case summary:

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