Report: Dean Smith's $200 gift to lettermen may violate NCAA rules

Dean Smith's final act of kindness to many of his former players may have broken NCAA rules. 

The former North Carolina coach, who passed away Feb. 7 at age 83, left $200 apiece to 180 of his former lettermen in his will for them to "enjoy a dinner out." 

The NCAA could declare the gifts a violation, though, if it deems the money is based on services the graduated athletes provided while they were enrolled at the school, according to Marc Edelman of Forbes.com.

The gifts, totaling $36,000, could be a violation based on the institution's rules, which were recently modified to deter athletes from raising funds via websites like Kickstarter.