http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/30/sports/ncaafootball/georgia-running-back-todd-gurley-suspended-until-nov-15.html 2014-10-29 19:48:50 Georgia Running Back Todd Gurley Suspended Until Nov. 15 Gurley acknowledged violating N.C.A.A. rules by accepting money for autographs, but those rules are under increased fire by critics who say athletes are being exploited. Georgia said it would appeal. === Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who had been considered a top contender for the Heisman Trophy, must sit out until Nov. 15 for receiving more than $3,000 for signed memorabilia and other items over a two-year period, the Georgia said it intended to appeal the decision immediately. The university had applied for Gurley’s reinstatement Gurley acknowledged violating N.C.A.A. rules, the association said. Under N.C.A.A. bylaws designed to enforce athletes’ amateur status, players may not receive money for autographs. Still, such bylaws are under increased fire from critics who say amateurism is just another word for exploitation. Most notably, in August, This week, Mark Emmert, the president of the N.C.A.A., The N.C.A.A. also said Gurley, who will be eligible to play when the Bulldogs host Auburn on Nov. 15, had to repay a portion of the money to a charity of his choice and perform 40 hours of community service. The punishment is in line with precedent, said Geoff Silver, who spent 10 years at the N.C.A.A. national office as the director of academic and membership affairs and in other roles. But, Silver added, there is “more and more momentum to have some rule changes that will allow student-athletes to get more benefits.”