Tuberville threatens to withhold cost-of-attendance funds for off-field issues

Cincinnati coach Tommy Tuberville has raised the prospect of withholding some cost-of-attendance stipends from players who commit various off-field infractions, reports Joe Schad of ESPN.

Tuberville said Tuesday that players who violate team rules or athletic department policies, along with players who don't meet academic requirements, could be subject to the penalty.

Virginia Tech coach Bud Foster suggested employing the same penalty on Wednesday, only to later see the school's athletic director squash the idea.

Cincinnati athletic director Mike Bohn, however, signaled his approval of penalizing players by withholding some school funding, also framing it as "an accountability measure."

"It's not a fine. It's not a threat. It's a tool," he said.

Cost-of-attendance stipends are designed to help offset some of student-athletes' ancillary expenses, including transportation and school supplies.

The NCAA recently approved that financial support model amid mounting legal challenges to the collegiate sports governing body's restrictions on paying its athletes.

Cincinnati players receive between $5,504 to $7,018 in stipends, according to the school, which places their stipends among the most lucrative in the nation.