WVU G RaeQuan Battle on NCAA Waiver Denial: ‘I Will Not Go Quietly’
West Virginia guard RaeQuan Battle‘s saga with the NCAA has been loud this offseason with his appeal being denied by the NCAA after reviewing the case.
Battle made a powerful statement in response to the NCAA’s decision saying, “Even if I never play another game of basketball, I will not go quietly. At a minimum, I will be one more Native American voice shouting into the ears of an institution that is all too oblivious of its failings and prejudices.”
Battle previously transferred at the start of his career from Washington to Montana State, where he played two seasons of basketball before the Bobcats’ head coach Danny Sprinkle elected to accept a new job at Utah State.
Battle’s original waiver was denied by the NCAA back in October. West Virginia then elected to appeal the waiver process, and even after the NCAA received multiple letters from the Governor of West Virginia, Battle’s situation remained relatively unchanged.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey responded to the waiver denial on X saying, “For too long, the NCAA has failed to maintain a consistent and defensible transfer policy. Refusing to let RaeQuan play is only the latest example.”
Battle’s response to the committee was a lengthy display of some of the issues with the waiver process including the next steps for two-time transfers. With Battle mentioning his plans to vocalize his disdain with the NCAA, his response does not feel like the last update fans should expect to see.
Despite Battle’s continued absence, the Mountaineers take the court next on Sunday, November 26th at 4:00 PM CT against Bellarmine.
