BLACKSBURG, Va., July 9 (UPI) -- A student panel at Virginia Tech University has decided to give Hokies running back Michael Holmes the boot for his role in an April fight.
Holmes, who many thought had star potential, gained only 280 yards during his redshirt freshman season in 2012.
He was arrested in late April after a fight in a parking lot and charged with malicious wounding, a felony, and two counts of misdemeanor assault. The felony charge was later reduced to a misdemeanor, meaning he could have been eligible for reinstatement on the football team, The (Norfolk) Virginian Pilot said Tuesday.
A student judicial panel found otherwise, though, and "permanently separated [Holmes] from the university," Athletic Director Jim Weaver said.
Normally such a decision would be made by university officials but at Virginia Tech the student panel's decision outweighs any determination Weaver makes personally.
