Marian football withdrawn from NAIA playoffs INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Marian University has been withdrawn from the NAIA Football Championship Series after discovering an academically ineligible player participated in three games this season. The university self-reported the eligibility issue to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) following a routine internal review, leading to the cancellation of Marian’s scheduled playoff game against Keiser University on Dec. 6, 2025. “We sincerely apologize to Keiser University, the NAIA, our student-athletes, and the Marian community that we cannot continue our season,” said Steve Downing, Marian director of athletics. Steve Downing expressed disappointment over the situation and mentioned that Marian University is taking immediate steps to address the root causes of the eligibility issue. The university has identified gaps in its processes and is implementing strengthened academic and eligibility checks, along with completing a formal internal review. President Daniel J. Elsener sent a letter to the university community, expressing regret over the circumstances and the disruption caused to the team and community. Elsener assured that the university is conducting a full audit of its academic and compliance processes to determine what failed and is committed to correcting the issue. The university is “fully cooperating with the NAIA and is committed to supporting the student-athlete involved and the entire football program.” Marian University’s football season has ended prematurely due to the eligibility issue, and the university is focused on strengthening its procedures to prevent future occurrences. This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness. ...read more read less