An Augsburg University cross-country star and aspiring Olympic marathon runner says he’s been banned from competing for accepting community donations to pay for tuition.
Mohammed Bati, a senior nursing major at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, says the NCAA has informed him that he will be ineligible to compete in the indoor and outdoor competitions in the coming season for accepting around $6,000 in community donations.
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In a post on the fitness app Strava, Bati said the NCAA told him that the donations, which would be used to help cover tuition, violated its rules.
“It feels sad that instead of seeing support as community love, it’s seen as something wrong. I didn’t get paid. I didn’t get something crazy,” Bati wrote.
“Just help to stay in school. And because of that, I’m not allowed to run. That part is not easy to accept. I worked hard. I love running. I wanted to run this season with my teammates, make memories in my last year.”
Augsburg University
The NCAA prohibits athletic scholarships at the D3 level, instead providing merit-based financial aid through grants and academic scholarships.
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In November, Bati was profiled by the Minnesota Star Tribune after he became the first men’s athlete in MIAC history to win four conference titles in cross country.
Bati told the publication that he works at an assisted living facility five days a week and runs twice a day on top of his classes. Instead of sleeping, Bati said he takes naps. It’s a sacrifice that he believes is required to reach his goal of becoming an Olympic marathon runner.
“Sometimes rules don’t see the human behind the story. But I hope one day, things like helping someone won’t be a reason to stop them from doing what they love,” Bati added.
“Thank you to my community, thank you to everyone who supports me. I will keep going.”
This story was originally published by Bring Me The News on Dec 28, 2025, where it first appeared in the MN Sports section. Add Bring Me The News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
