Scholarship Pulled Amid Family Loss
Western Kentucky canceled the scholarship of defensive tackle Victory Vaka in late May after he stepped away from the program following his mother's unexpected death on April 2. The news of the roster decision and its aftermath became public in mid-July 2026.
Vaka, a senior transfer from Texas Southern, flew home to grieve. An assistant strength coach contacted him nine days before the May 9 funeral, provided a summer workout plan, and said he was expected back in June. On May 26 his position coach asked where he was. The next day, chief of staff Travis Taylor informed Vaka and his agent that the Hilltoppers were moving on and processing the departure as a "failure to report."
"I was shocked," Vaka said. He planned to return for the 2026 season and finish his degree. Western Kentucky flew him home and later back to campus after the death. Head coach Tyson Helton had told him the staff would support a transfer if needed, but no firm return timeline was set.
Because of the disciplinary designation, Vaka cannot use the standard NCAA aid-cancellation exception to enter the transfer portal. Multiple FBS programs would take him if eligible, according to his agent Jaykwon Jefferson. The NCAA denied Vaka's legislative relief waiver. He sits one semester from graduation with his final season of eligibility blocked.
"It's like inhumane what they did," Vaka said. "When some of these coaches say they care, they really don't." WKU and the NCAA declined further comment on the specific case. The school confirmed he is no longer on the roster.
Vaka remains at home dealing with the loss while the rules leave him without a clear path back to the field.