Trevor Lawrence, girlfriend have GoFundMe coronavirus page shut down because of NCAA rules

Numerous professional athletes have come forward and donated money to help those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was trying to do his part to help as well. Unfortunately, NCAA rules did not allow it.

Lawrence and his girlfriend, Anderson university soccer player Marissa Mowry, launched a GoFundMe page on Monday afternoon aimed at providing relief and support for families impacted by COVID-19. They raised nearly $3,000 in a very short amount of time, but Mowry revealed on her Instagram account that the NCAA caught wind of the fundraiser and put a stop to it. A Clemson official confirmed to Matt Connolly of The State on Tuesday that using an athlete using his or her name, image and likeness for crowd funding is prohibited by NCAA rules.

“Despite all of the craziness and drama with that we were able to raise a little over $2,500. So all of that’s going to go to Meals on Wheels and No Kid Hungry, which is super awesome,” Lawrence said in an Instagram video posted on Mowry’s page. “Thank you guys, all of y’all that donated. It’s really much appreciated. It’s going to help some kids and some elderly [people] somewhere, so it’s going to be very helpful. So we really appreciate y’all. Sorry for all of the drama and all of the confusion but we got it worked out.”

It’s possible for Mowry and Lawrence to seek a waiver from the NCAA to re-open the fundraiser, but they did not say whether or not they will pursue that.

This is not the first time NCAA rules have prevented something very good from happening, but the organization has reversed course on similar issues in the past. Hopefully some sort of exception can be made for Lawrence and other prominent collegiate athletes who want to help those who are struggling because of the pandemic.