University says Najera, Avila eligibility not affected

Wednesday, March 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- The University of Oklahoma said Wednesday that its review of high school financing for seniors Eduardo Najera and Victor Avila found nothing that would affect their college eligibility.

The university reviewed the issue as a result of a question posed by a reporter at the San Antonio Express-News. Najera and Avila attended Cornerstone Christian School in San Antonio.

"Any aid they received was provided by the school and was part of the school's aid program available to all students at the school," the university said in a statement Wednesday. It said the school's program was consistent with NCAA rules.

Najera, a native of Mexico, attended Cornerstone Christian during the 1994-95 school year. The San Antonio newspaper said an official of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools said the tuition was subsidized by the Mexican National Basketball Federation.

The university said its information confirmed that neither Najera nor Avila did not receive any financial assistance of any kind from the Mexican Basketball Federation or from any othe people or organizations to attend the school.

This season, the NCAA has penalized basketball players who have had third parties outside their immediate family pay for prep school tuition. Oklahoma State freshman Andre Williams missed five games as the result of such an investigation.

OU said the review involved the Big 12 Conference, the NCAA, Cornerstone Christian and the Mexican Basketball Federation.