Reigning Atlantic-10 player of the year Tu Holloway was suspended for Xavier's season opener due to a self-reported secondary violation of NCAA rules limiting summer league games, and according to the Cincinnati Enquirer, Holloway was sidelined because it was discovered he had played in two summer basketball leagues.

"Sometimes there are silly rules out there, but as silly as they are, you have to follow them," [Xavier coach Chris] Mack said. "Sometimes I don't like going 55 miles an hour on 71 in certain places but I have to follow the law."

The NCAA rule that Holloway violated might seem arcane, but consider that in 1997, reigning NCAA scoring leader Charles Jones of Long Island was suspended for the first two games of the season for the same rules violation. Rick Telander, writing for Sports Illustrated at the time, reported that it was his profile piece on Jones that unintentionally revealed the violation and got this explanation from the NCAA.

"It's rule 30.15-e-3," said Carrie Doyle, director of college enforcement for the NCAA."All Division I players must limit their competition to one team in one league." That is the section for summer rules."

...

Maybe he knew that it was wrong to play in two summer leagues. Maybe he didn't. But how could he have known why it was wrong?

I asked Carrie Doyle that question. "You are asking us to give the intent of the rule, and we are not prepared to do that," she replied, sending me on to another division of the NCAA for such arcana. No representative of the appropriate division was in at that time, and I gave up my search. The reason for the rule would be the same as it is for all the rules that govern the athletes: to prevent any player from making money or enjoying some privilege.