MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — On Thursday, Omar Silverio had his appeal for a waiver to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers denied by the NCAA. Silverio sat out last season after transferring from Manhattan and hoped to be eligible to play this season.
However, the NCAA ruled against him and his collegiate career is now over. Today, Silverio posted a message on social media, asking for help through a GoFund Me fundraiser. The fundraiser says the following:
“Ten years ago Omar Silverio left his family in the Dominican Republic to chase his dream of an education and basketball career in the United States. Through the ups and downs, he has worked hard, treated people the right way and stayed positive. He has dealt with injuries, saw one coach fired right before the season started, lost another to a major health issue, and played for three coaches in three seasons all while at the same school.
Despite that, he earned his degree from Hofstra University. Now, he has been waiting for six months to hear from the NCAA regarding a waiver to play his final season at West Virginia. As many of you know, that waiver was denied this week and Omar’s college career is over.
He appreciates all of his teammates and coaches and especially all of the fans he has met and come in contact with throughout his college career. The community at West Virginia has treated him like family even though he won’t be able to suit up for the University this season. He has many great memories — winning the CAA Championship, scoring 40 points in a game, playing in front of friends and family, and meeting some amazing people along the way. He is contemplating what is next for him and his family. He is considering filing a lawsuit against the NCAA, but isn’t sure if it is worth the time and expense that will entail.
Regardless, thanks to the NCAA, he has had to forfeit the NIL money that he was promised. Please consider supporting Omar and his family in DR as they navigate the next steps in their lives.”
It is unfortunate that the NCAA would make such a callous, unfair decision to not allow him to play this season and their denial really does no one any good. If you would like to give to Omar Silverio, please visit his GoFund me page here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-omar-silverio?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet-first-launch&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer
https://t.co/veFCodwhT6. PLEASE help me out in this situation I’m just trying to do things right and once you click the link you will see why is so important to me. I’m so frustrated that the NCAA did this to me 😞 pic.twitter.com/ZFp9GpFOPw
— Omar Silverio (@OmarSilverio15) August 12, 2023
