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Alabama A&M receives five years of probation

Alabama A&M faces reductions in scholarships in all three sports for two years plus a two-year ban on postseason competition and reductions in off-campus recruiting in women's track and field. Alabama A&M's 1994 NCAA Division II women's outdoor track and field championship title will be vacated, along with the 1995 indoor records.

The Committee on Infractions found NCAA rules violations, including:

* During the 1991-92 through 1994-95 academic years, the head coaches of men's and women's track and field and cross country allowed eight student-athletes in those sports to practice, compete or receive expenses to away meets, even though they were ineligible. The student-athletes were ineligible because they were either partial qualifiers or had failed to satisfy NCAA transfer requirements. Some of the student-athletes received impermissible expenses when they traveled with the team to meets and competed as unattached participants. The head women's track and field coach failed to monitor adequately the participation of several of the ineligible women's track and field student-athletes.

* During the 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1994-95 academic years, four women's track and field prospective student-athletes received improper recruiting inducements when they lived at no cost with members of the women's track and field team and received local transportation and meals from team members. These inducements were provided while the prospects resided near the university before they obtained NCAA eligibility. The head coach knew the prospects were living near the university and helped make the living arrangements for them.

* During the summer of 1994 and the 1994-95 academic year, members of the institution's coaching staff arranged for men's soccer and women's and men's track and field student-athletes to receive either free or preferential housing that was not available to the university's general student population.

* The university gave preferential treatment to 10 women's track and field student-athletes concerning food arrangements during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 academic years. Specifically, the school allowed them to obtain bulk groceries from the institution's dining facility, an arrangement not available to other students, or issued temporary meal cards that were not charged against their scholarships. Two of the student-athletes received groceries even though their scholarships did not include room and board.

* During the 1994-95 academic year, numerous men's soccer student-athletes received housing or meals that was not covered by their scholarships. One student-athlete received summer-school tuition when he was not eligible for it.

* Because of the impermissible housing and meals provided during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 academic years, which must be counted toward NCAA scholarship limits, the university exceeded those limits for women's track and field and men's soccer.

* The university failed to maintain accurate squad lists for men's and women's cross country and track and field from 1991-92 through 1994-95.

* There was a lack of institutional control by the university and by the head women's track and field coach involved in this case. The actions of the head men's soccer coach also contributed to the lack of institutional control.

In determining appropriate penalties, the Committee on Infractions took into consideration corrective actions the university has taken or plans to take, including the following:

* Discipline and reassign individuals involved in the case. The university removed the head women's track and field coach and the head men's soccer coach from those positions. It also removed compliance responsibilities from the compliance officer, suspended her from the position of assistant director of athletics for one year and placed her on probation for three years. The university reprimanded the interim head men's soccer coach and reassigned him to assistant coach and demoted the head men's track and field coach to assistant coach.

* Reactivate the Athletic Advisory Council.

* Implement policies and procedures for annual evaluations of athletics administrators and coaches.

* Fill the position of director of athletics on a permanent basis.

* Restructure the duties of the assistant director of athletics to exclude those of NCAA compliance officer.

* Institute an effective compliance, monitoring and enforcement program.

* Review and revise the existing athletics manual to ensure compliance with NCAA and conference rules. Institute an annual program of continuing education in and monitoring of NCAA and conference rules for all athletics personnel and other university staff who may interact with the athletics department.

* Develop and implement a university policy that all student-athletes on scholarship be required to live in campus housing, obtain meal cards and receive meals in the university cafeteria.

* Require that coaches from all sports submit a travel roster before leaving for an away competition and submit a travel/participation roster on their return.

The committee adopted the following penalty that was self-imposed by Alabama A&M:

* Restricting off-campus recruiting in women's track and field to telephone contacts and correspondence during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 academic years.

The Committee on Infractions imposed additional penalties, including:

* Probation for five years beginning April 19, 1996, the date of the hearing.

* Prohibition from postseason competition in women's cross country and track and field during the 1996-97 and 1997-98 academic years.

* Prohibition from awarding any initial scholarships to international student-athletes in all sports for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 academic years.

* Reduction by three in the total number of scholarships in women's track and field, from the maximum of 12.6 to 9.6, for the 1996-97 academic year and by two, for a total of 10.6, during the 1997-98 academic year.

* Reduction by three in the total number of men's soccer scholarships, from the 9.9 allowed to 6.9, for the 1996-97 and 1997-98 academic years.

* Reduction by one in the total number of men's track and field scholarships, from the 12.6 allowed to 11.6, for the 1996-97 and 1997-98 academic years.

* Vacating of team and individual NCAA championships records of the ineligible student-athletes and return of all university trophies for the 1994 NCAA Division II Women's Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 1995 NCAA Division II Women's Indoor Track Championships.

* Recertification of current athletics policies and practices by the university's president.

* Development of a comprehensive educational program on NCAA rules.

* If the former head women's track and field coach seeks employment in an athletically related position at an NCAA member institution during a three-year period, from January 16, 1996, to January 16, 1999, he and the involved institution will be requested to appear before the Committee on Infractions to determine whether the former head coach's athletically related duties should be limited at the new institution.

As required by NCAA legislation for any institution in a major infractions case, Alabama A&M is subject to the NCAA's repeat-violator provisions for a five-year period beginning April 19, 1996.

Should Alabama A&M or the two coaches who are named in the findings and participated in the processing of this case wish to appeal either the findings or the penalties in this case, they must submit a written notice of appeal to the NCAA executive director no later than 15 days from the date of this release. The NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee, a separate group of people, hears such appeals.

The members of the Committee on Infractions who heard this case are Richard J. Dunn, divisional dean of humanities, University of Washington; Jack H. Friedenthal, dean of the school of law, George Washington University; Roy F. Kramer, commissioner, Southeastern Conference; Frederick B. Lacey, attorney, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, and a retired judge; James L. Richmond, retired judge and attorney; Yvonne "Bonnie" L. Slatton, chair of the department of physical education and sports studies, University of Iowa; and committee chair David Swank, professor of law, University of Oklahoma.

The complete report of the Committee on Infractions will be published in the August 5 issue of The NCAA Register.