The University of Miami women’s basketball program was sanctioned by the NCAA in the governing body’s first NIL infractions ruling, and it involves two of TikTok’s biggest stars, Haley and Hanna Cavinder.
On Friday, the NCAA reached a negotiated resolution with the Hurricanes women’s basketball program for violations in the recruitment of the Cavinder twins. Sports Illustrated obtained the NCAA’s report. The student-athletes were not sanctioned.
While in the transfer portal, Haley and Hanna, as well as their parents, had dinner with prominent Hurricanes booster John Ruiz at his Miami home on April 13, 2022. Later that night, Ruiz posted a photo to Twitter that showed the group standing in front of his home — and according to the report, it sparked the NCAA’s investigation that began in May.
“Wishing the Cavinder twins all the best in their quest to find their next home to play basketball,” Ruiz tweeted at the time. “Amazing young ladies as well as mom and dad. @CavinderHaley @CavinderHanna @johnnyruiz4 @alex7ruiz @cristinaeruiz.”
Although the NCAA did not name Haley or Hanna in its report, it referenced a booster’s tweet with two prospective athletes on April 13, 2022.
The Cavinder twins transferred from Fresno State to Miami on April 21, 2022.
The meeting between Ruiz and the Cavinder family violated a number of NCAA recruiting rules. In the report, it is described as “impermissible contact,” and the chef-prepared dinner provided by Ruiz is classified as a recruiting “inducement.”
Boosters are prohibited from associating with prospects or providing them improper benefits.
Miami women’s basketball coach Katie Meier was cited for violating “head-coach responsibility,” after the investigation found that she facilitated the meeting between the Cavinder twins and Ruiz.
Ruiz and Meier began exchanging messages about the recruitment of the Cavinder sisters after meeting last spring at an athletic event. Ruiz texted the coach saying he was “here to help” and wanted “women’s [basketball] to be huge for UM.”
Meier later connected Ruiz with the Cavinder family and the sisters’ agent, who had already communicated with Ruiz, the NCAA said.
Meier served a suspension for the first three games of this season in anticipation of the NCAA’s ruling. In addition to the suspension, Miami women’s basketball team must pay a $5,000 fine and a separate fine worth 1% of the program’s budget. The Hurricanes program will also serve a year of probation, which includes reductions in recruiting and official visits.
“The investigation did not develop any facts directly linking activities around name, image and likeness to the prospects’ recruitment to or decision to enroll at the University of Miami,” the COI [Committee on Infractions ] wrote in its report. “During its review, however, the panel was troubled by the limited nature and severity of institutional penalties agreed upon by Miami and the enforcement staff—namely, the absence of a disassociation of the involved booster. …
“Although the parties asserted that a disassociation penalty would be inappropriate based on an impermissible meal and an impermissible contact, today’s new NIL-related environment presents a new day. Boosters are involved with prospects and student-athletes in ways the NCAA membership has never seen or encountered. In that way, addressing impermissible booster conduct is critical, and the disassociation penalty presents an effective penalty available to the COI.”
On Friday, Ruiz responded to Sports Illustrated’s article in a quote tweet from one of the authors, Ross Dellenger.
Ruiz included a screen-grab of the NCAA’s NIL rules and wrote: “So the NCAA allows schools to inform students about NIL opportunities and says UM can’t? These girls decided where to go, no one else did it for them. Also the Cavinder Twins are the face of NIL. We are in the US, the constitution safeguards the ability to contract. After digging for months and finding nothing they had to create something. If it affected our companies I would go after the NCAA. NCAA will eventually disappear!”
Committee on Infractions chief hearing officer Gary Miller said they are concerned about potential booster conduct in the NIL space.
“Boosters can’t help recruit, and they certainly can’t give inducements,” COI chair Dave Roberts said.
Ruiz is a known supporter of Miami athletics and his three children attended the school. The businessman — his companies include LifeWallet, a health care application, and the Cigarette (boat) Racing Team — has spent more than $10 million on NIL, according to Sports Illustrated.
Haley and Hanna are two of the highest NIL earners in college sports. The twin sisters have earned an estimated seven figures in NIL deals since the NCAA ruled in July 2021 that athletes can profit from their name, image and likeness.
The influencers have joint social media accounts — including 4 million followers on their TikTok and over 128,000 Instagram followers. Haley and Hanna have 500,000 followers each on their individual Instagram accounts. Some of their posts include content promoting Ruiz’s Cigarette Racing clothing.
Haley and Hanna became internet sensations during the COVID-19 pandemic with their dance videos and basketball-related content on TikTok. Their brand partnerships include Champs and Victoria’s Secret. They also launched a podcast in December, called “Twin Talk.”
Haley leads the Hurricanes in scoring at 12.8 points per game, while Hanna is averaging 3.8 points. Miami (17-10) is tied for sixth place in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 10-6 record in conference play.