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NEWS: D3 Distance Star Mohammed Bati Ruled Ineligible For 2026 Track Seasons By NCAA
- Conor Daly
- Dec 27, 2025
- 2 min read
Written by Conor Daly, edits & additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
Mohammed Bati, one of Division Three’s premier long distance runners over the last few years, has been deemed ineligible to compete for the 2026 indoor track and outdoor track seasons due to a recent ruling from the NCAA.
In a Strava post from December 24th, the Augsburg star explained that he had accepted approximately $6,000 from members of his community to pay for his spring 2025 tuition. Bati explicitly stated that the accepted money was solely spent on his schooling.
"Last semester I was struggling a lot with money. I didn't want to drop out or stop going to school, and the community around me came together to support me. People helped me with around $6000 so I could pay for that semester. I'm still grateful for that it was love, it was support, not anything big or business or something bad. Just people helping someone who needed" - Mohammed Bati via Strava
Upon learning of Bati's crowdfunded education payment, the NCAA ruled that his acceptance of those funds was a violation. That, in turn, forfeited Bati’s track and field eligibility for the upcoming semester. However, with "Name, Image & Likeness" (NIL) opportunities available, Bati could have theoretically protected his eligibility if the $6,000 was deemed for a, “legitimate business purpose.”
To pay for tuition, Bati works from 11:00pm to 7:00am five nights a week at a local assisted living facility. The Augsburg distance standout does all of that while running 150 miles a week and completing his academic obligations.
It is not yet clear to The Stride Report whether there is an opportunity for Bati to appeal should he choose to do so.
Bati has been a key figure in the Division Three long distance scene for years. Most notably, he was the Division Three cross country national meet runner-up in 2024 and in 2025. On the track, he holds personal bests of 8:18 (3k), 14:15 (5k) and 30:10 (10k).
Just a few weeks ago, Bati clocked a phenomenal mark of 2:12:28 at the California International Marathon (CIM) to qualify for the 2028 USA Olympic Trials.
In response to the decision, Bati made a promise to himself and his community, “I’m not disappearing, I’m still here, still training, still smiling, still fighting for my dreams.”
