TSU tennis program suspended for 'scholarship irregularities'

(1/23/07 - KTRK/HOUSTON) (KTRK) -- Accusations of promises that weren't kept have a championship tennis program off the court. And now, the NCAA is investigating Texas Southern University.

The official accusation is 'scholarship irregularities.' But in layman's terms, players claim they were promised room and board by tennis coach Alberto Rojo Jimenez. Now the student-athletes say those promises were broken.

Players on both the men's and women's team were told yesterday the tennis program is suspended for the spring semester.

"I expected to practice, to get equipment, to get everything," said TSU tennis player Carlos Garcia. "It's not gonna happen."

When Garcia left his native Venezuela to play tennis at Texas Southern University, he never imagined his love for the sport would one day become the source of so much pain.

"I feel pretty uncomfortable with the situation because it's my life," said Garcia. "It's my future."

Garcia claims he was promised a full scholarship and assumed it was being honored until he realized his bills were no longer being paid, rent included.

"I had to pay the apartment, the food, everything," he said.

He wasn't alone. Priscilla Cervantes, a member of the women's tennis team, says the same thing happened to her. Much of their anger is directed at Jimenez, a coach who's reportedly recruited players from all over the world.

"He was the one having control over the money so he had to pay. He was always late," said Cervantes. "We always had to tell him. In the end, we got evicted. That's when everything started here at the university."

We went to Jimenez's north side home.

The man claiming to be his father says he was also unaware of his son's alleged involvement in any possible scholarship irregularities. No one from TSU wanted to go on camera, but they did send us the following statement:

"The university will regroup and develop a program that benefits the students and TSU. No additional information will be forthcoming at this time since the NCAA has not concluded its investigation of the tennis program."

In the meantime, the players were told their full tuition and cost for books would be covered this semester. Both Cervantes and Garcia admit it may be their last. "My grades went down last semester," said Cervantes. "Right now, I don't even want to think about this anymore. I just want to get through this semester and transfer to another university. I am through with this."

Both players are now living back on campus in the dorms. While they appreciate that, it's certainly not what either of them had in mind.
(Copyright © 2007, KTRK-TV)

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