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."
Coach Smith willed his trust to send a $200 check to each his former players following his passing. #DeanSmith pic.twitter.com/NyiBhU9taQ
— Jim Dempsey (@ChestPassDemps) March 26, 2015
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.