Ohio State sophomore defensive end Noah Spence was suspended for three games, including last week's Orange Bowl loss to Clemson, because he tested positive for ecstasy, his father told a TV station in Harrisburg, Pa., the family's hometown.
Spence, who led the Buckeyes with eight sacks this season, will miss the first two games next season, against Virginia Tech and Navy, before regaining eligibility. He is allowed to practice but not play.
WHTM reported that Greg Spence, the player's father, said the player tested positive for a small amount of ecstasy. The family says Spence unintentionally took the drug when he was given a drink by people he didn't know at a party.
Greg Spence told WHTM the Big Ten originally suspended his son for one year because it considers ecstasy a performance-enhancing drug. Under NCAA rules, ecstasy is termed a street drug, which carries a lesser penalty. The suspension was appealed and dropped to three games. The family told the TV station it plans to file a lawsuit against the Big Ten, though they didn't say on what specific grounds the lawsuit would be filed.
When the suspension was announced last week, Ohio State did not specify the violation but did say in a news release that the school assisted Spence and his family "in exhausting the appeals process that was available to them with the Big Ten." The Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch had reported that Spence used an unapproved dietary supplement.
In addition to the eight sacks, Spence was second on the team with 14.5 tackles for loss. Spence (6-foot-3, 252 pounds) should vie for all-league honors next season, when he is expected to be one of the most explosive ends in the nation.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.