FHSAA would levy any possible sanctions against Miami Northwestern after postseason concludes: Report

According to a report by the Miami Herald, if the Bulls are found to have used an ineligible player, penalties would be levied after the 2024 playoffs

Teddy Bridgewater flashed a huge smile upon taking the field for his first game as head coach of the Miami Northwestern Bulls in Aug., 2024. / File

If the Miami Northwestern Bulls are found to have used an ineligible player during the 2024 regular season and region quarterfinal win versus Barron Collier last week, any penalty related to that may not come until after the postseason has already concluded.

According to a report by the Miami Herald's Andre Fernandez, a Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) spokesperson said that the Gainesville-based association would not be handing out any potential punishment to Miami Northwestern until after the conclusion of the 2024 season.

The Bulls are currently a favorite to win the Class 3A state championship, with the title games slated to be played down in Miami at Florida International University's Pitbull Stadium.

FHSAA officially announces Pitbull Stadium as home for the next three Florida football state championships

Miami Herald / Andy Villamarzo

The news comes off the heels of an explosive USA Today report by Alex Martin and Jon Santucci that the FHSAA looking into an allegation of Teddy Bridgewater's Miami Northwestern Bulls using a fifth-year player.

Per Martin and Santucci's report, the USA Today Network obtained a transcript of the unnamed player, who had enrolled in the fall of 2020 and this fall semester would be his ninth semester, which would make the student-athlete ineligible per FHSAA Bylaw 9.5.1.

If the allegation is found to be true, Miami Northwestern would have to forfeit every single game the player participated in, thus possibly ending the Bulls' season before Friday's scheduled Class 3A region quarterfinal against Naples Lely. Miami Northwestern is coming off a 69-0 region quarterfinal win over Barron Collier last week.

FHSAA reviewing allegations against Teddy Bridgewater's Miami Northwestern: Report

Miami Northwestern rival, Miami Central, was forced to forfeit every victory from the 2024 season from a similar situation. The Rockets were have found to have used an ineligible player and forced to forfeit nine games, in which one was a loss. In addition to the forfeits, the association had also fined Miami Central $900 in monetary sanctions.

Per the FHSAA's santions letter given to Miami Central, the ineligible student-athlete entered the 9th grade in 2020-2021 and entered the 2024-2025 school year as a fifth-year student and allowed him to play in nine games, violating bylaw 9.5.1.

FHSAA slaps Miami Central with 8 forfeits; multiple sanctions

Now with Miami Northwestern allegedly having a fifth-year player themselves, if true, the FHSAA would look towards after the conclusion of the state championships, to hit the Bulls with any sanctions.

2024 FHSAA high football state championship projections

It hasn't been all flowers down in South Florida when it comes to high school football for Bridgewater, as the former first round draft pick sounded off on the state of game last month via his personal Facebook page. Down below is Bridgewater's remarks:

“I didn’t walk away from millions to be associated with this high school drama,” said Bridgewater. “I did it to better the future of the sport in south Florida… I’ve been to the highest level and this level is peanuts to an elephant when you’ve reached the top. So you don’t get caught up in the small stuff when you’ve seen the top. However, this is the highest level for many so that’s why you have the telling and ‘whatever it takes to win’ mentality going on. But that’s the problem, not many people have won at the life God has given them so they live through the kids and make it about them and not their kids. Now we have grown men telling on KIDS!! Jeopardizing their future and their team’s future. As a man, what do you get out of that?? I pray MNW stays in the clear from all that’s going on because like I tell my coaches, I played 10 years in the league and never made any headlines and I’ll be damned if I let MNW have me caught up in some mess. I know it’s people waiting on the day it happens.”

Teddy Bridgewater unloads on the state of high school football

Bridgewater, via his X head coaching account for Miami Northwestern, posted an interesting tweet on Tuesday morning, hinting at a return to the NFL. Down below is the post Bridgewater made on X:

"So many QB jobs available for me after we make this state title run. I can't wait to return back to the NFL."

Teddy Bridgewater hints at a return to the NFL

Teddy Bridgewater's X account / Andy Villamarzo

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-- Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @highschoolonsi