Dec 19, 2024; New Orleans, LA, USA; Dtailed view of a Sam Houston State Bearkats helmet against the Georgia Southern Eagles during the first half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Report: Sam Houston Allegedly Used Ineligible Player, Delayed Title IX Investigation

Originally posted on G5 Football on SI | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 9:33 PM ET

Following a season that included ten wins and a victory in the New Orleans Bowl, Sam Houston football is facing allegations of using a student-athlete who should have been ineligible during the 2024 campaign.

As first reported by Leah Vann of Chron.com, court documents and emails obtained by Vann and Chron.com via public records request show Sam Houston delayed a Title IX investigation into offensive lineman MarKendrick Beall.

Beall, who was a two-year starter for the Bearkats before entering the transfer portal, played in nine contests last year.

Per Vann’s reporting, Beall was later issued a “probation with a timeline that might have enabled him to return to football in fall 2025.”

Beall's Title IX investigation arose from a two-year on-and-off relationship with Christen Clark, a Dallas resident, which involved stalking, assault, and civil conspiracy to commit stalking.

Sam Houston was led by then-head coach K.C. Keeler, who departed the program prior to the team’s New Orleans Bowl victory, as Keeler took the head coaching job at Temple. Keeler had been with the program since 2014 and amassed a 97-39 record, while overseeing the program’s transition from the FCS level to FBS.