Luke Ridnour attended a Portland Trail Blazers game with a complimentary ticket, and the Oregon Athletic Department is currently investigating whether or not it constitutes an NCAA violation.
According to an article in The Oregonian, Ridnour received a complimentary ticket, courtesy of ESPN baseball analyst and family friend Harold Reynolds, to the Blazers-Washington Wizards game Tuesday.
“Luke did nothing wrong,” Reynolds told The Oregonian. “There’s no wrongdoing here. We were well aware of the rules before we walked in the door. It wasn’t a hidden intent.”
Reynolds said he asked Ridnour to pay $120 for the ticket. But because Reynolds got the ticket for free from the Blazers organization, it wasn’t meant to be re-sold and could constitute an NCAA violation even if Ridnour paid for it.
According to the article, the Oregon Athletic Department launched an investigation into the matter Thursday and notified the Pacific-10 Conference and the NCAA of the possible violation.
Ridnour is considering leaving for the NBA, and if he does declare for the draft, the issue of him accepting free tickets will be moot.
— Peter Hockaday
