BATON ROUGE — The NCAA has determined that Stevan Ridley did not violate its bylaws and he is eligible to play in the Tigers’ Cotton Bowl appearance on Friday.

“This is great news. We put our faith in the system and the NCAA made the right decision,” said LSU coach Les Miles.

“We appreciate the efforts put forth by the NCAA and the LSU administration. We are grateful that the NCAA made this a priority at this time of year. If you believe in the mission of the NCAA, this decision is good for college athletics. I told the team about the news at the end of practice and they’re a happy group.”

Ridley was initially declared ineligible, however, after additional information was provided to the NCAA, it was determined no violation of NCAA rules occurred in this instance.

“We thank the NCAA for looking at this case over the holidays and for resolving this issue on such short notice,” said Joe Alleva, LSU Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics. “This ruling is in the best interests of the student-athlete and that’s what the NCAA is all about.”

Ridley, a former Trinity Episcopal standout, played in all 12 games during LSU’s 2010 regular season and leads the team in rushing with 1,042 yards on 225 carries while rushing for 14 touchdowns, averaging 86.8 yards per game. He is ranked fourth in the Southeastern Conference in rushing yards per game.