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Maine placed on probation for four years

The committee also barred the men's ice hockey team from television and postseason competition for one year and reduced scholarships in ice hockey, football, men's basketball, and men's and women's track and cross country.

The committee found violations of NCAA rules concerning extra benefits, recruiting, eligibility for competition, financial aid, personnel, cooperative principles and institutional control.

The committee noted that the violations occurred over a 10-year period prior to the present athletics administration and resulted from misinterpretation, misapplication and ignorance of NCAA rules. The committee was encouraged by the steps the university has taken in the past several years to strengthen its compliance program and improve its rules education.

The Committee on Infractions heard this case June 3, 1996. Representatives of the university appeared before the committee, as well as the head men's ice hockey coach involved in this case and the interim head coach.

The Committee on Infractions found NCAA rules violations, including:

* During the 1993-94 and 1994-95 academic years, the university improperly certified 17 student-athletes in men's ice hockey, football, men's basketball, men's golf, and men's and women's track and field and cross country, and permitted them to compete while ineligible. During 1993-94, the university certified five graduate students who were enrolled in less than the minimum course hours required. They competed in the sports of men's ice hockey (21 games), women's indoor track (five meets), football (11 games), women's cross country (seven meets) and field hockey (seven games) while ineligible. A men's track student-athlete competed in six meetings while enrolled in less than the minimum credit hours required for undergraduate student-athletes. A men's ice hockey student-athlete competed in three games while he was a partial qualifier. At least nine student-athletes in the sports of football, men's basketball, men's golf, and men's and women's cross country and track and field failed to meet NCAA satisfactory-progress requirements and competed while ineligible.

* Between 1986 and 1994, numerous men's ice hockey student-athletes received extra benefits, including lodging and meals from boosters through a sponsor-family program. The university and head men's ice hockey coach failed to prevent the benefits from continuing after the formal discontinuation of the program in 1991. Existing relationships continued and new informal matches of student-athletes with sponsor families were permitted.

* During the 1993-94 academic year, a men's ice hockey student-athlete and his girlfriend resided at a booster's cabin at little cost, if any. The student-athlete and his girlfriend also had reduced utility charges and occasional use of an automobile and a telephone card.

* During the 1994 fall semester, a dining service employee provided free meals that were not part of their scholarships to 17 men's ice hockey student-athletes. On several occasions from the 1984-85 through 1993-94 academic years, the head men's ice hockey coach arranged two free meals the day of or the day before a game and included individuals who were not competing or practicing in pregame meals.

* During the 1990-91 through 1992-93 academic years, the institution awarded retroactive scholarship dollars to 17 men's ice hockey, eight men's basketball and four football student-athletes. In May 1994, a men's ice hockey student-athlete received retroactive scholarship money. In addition, during the 1993-94 academic year, the university provided a scholarship to a men's ice hockey student-athlete while he was a professional in another sport.

* During the 1990-91 academic year through 1995 fall semester, there were numerous violations of NCAA recruiting legislation in men's ice hockey and other sports. Those violations included improper lodging, impermissible contacts, and improper meals. Two prospective student-athletes served as volunteer employees at a university-sponsored hockey camp on campus.

* During the 1992-93 through 1994-95 academic years, there were several violations concerning the conduct and employment of men's ice hockey coaches. In December 1993, the head men's ice hockey coach received $1,700 in supplemental income from boosters while he was suspended without pay and had been told that he couldn't accept such funds. A volunteer coach received a bonus from a booster organization. An interim head men's ice hockey coach recruited off-campus when he was not certified to do so.

* The head men's ice hockey coach violated NCAA cooperative principles by contacting, or being responsible for another individual contacting, individuals involved with the investigation and by discussing the investigation.

* There was a lack of institutional control on the part of the university in failing to monitor adequately the daily activities of the athletics department and its staff for compliance with NCAA rules. It did not provide appropriate administrative support to other university offices in certifying continuing eligibility and monitoring financial aid. The head men's ice hockey coach, according to the committee, contributed greatly to the lack of institutional control.

* There were secondary violations.

The committee considered corrective actions self-imposed by Maine, including:

* Implemented new compliance systems and refined old ones.

* Assigned compliance oversight responsibility to each administrator in the athletics department for areas falling within their job descriptions, rather than relying solely on the compliance coordinator to catch or prevent violations.

* Hired a full-time assistant director of athletics for compliance, a full-time administrative assistant and a part-time compliance assistant.

* Terminated the employment of the cashier involved in providing free dining hall meals to men's ice hockey student-athletes.

* Charged the athletics business department with reviewing specific business transactions, including recruiting trips and official visits, for compliance with NCAA legislation and university policies.

* Moved primary responsibility for monitoring student-athletes financial aid to the office of student financial aid.

* Increased rules education efforts for student-athletes, coaches (including volunteer coaches) and representatives of the university's athletics interests.

* Designed and implemented a uniform recruiting monitoring system and a system to assist coaches in keeping more accurate recruiting records.

* Implemented new procedures for coaches to request approval for outside athletically related income.

* Instituted a new system for certifying the continuing eligibility of student-athletes.

The Committee on Infractions adopted as its own the following penalties self-imposed by the institution:

* Prohibited participation in postseason competition in men's ice hockey during the 1995-96 season.

* Reduced the number of men's ice hockey scholarships by two to 16 for the 1996-97 academic year.

* Suspended the head men's ice hockey coach without pay initially for three weeks in December 1993 and subsequently for one year, effective December 24, 1995.

* Prohibited an assistant men's ice hockey coach from recruiting off campus for six months, beginning December 24, 1995.

* Prohibited another assistant men's ice hockey coach from recruiting off campus for one month, beginning December 24, 1995.

* Suspended a former director of athletics without pay for one week, effective February 27, 1994.

* Permanently disassociated one booster and disassociated for two years another booster based on their involvement in violations of NCAA rules.

The Committee on Infractions imposed additional penalties, including:

* Four years of probation, beginning June 3, 1996.

* Prohibition from participating in postseason competition in men's ice hockey during the 1996-97 season.

* Prohibition from televising any men's ice hockey games during the 1996-97 season.

* Reduction in men's ice hockey scholarships by four for the 1997-98 academic year, for a total of 14. Reduction in men's ice hockey scholarships by two for the 1998-99 academic year, for a total of 16.

* Reduction in men's football scholarships by 13 during the 1997-98 academic year, for a total of 50.

* Reduction in men's track and field and cross country scholarships by one during the 1997-98 academic year, for a total of 11.6.

* Reduction in women's track and field and cross country scholarships by one during the 1997-98 academic year, for a total of 15.

* Reduction in men's basketball scholarships by one during the 1997-98 academic year, for a total of 12.

* Forfeiture of all regular-season contests in which certain ineligible student-athletes participated.

* Extension of the disassociation of one booster from two years to four years, the length of the probationary period.

* Development and implementation of a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation.

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

As required by NCAA legislation for any institution in a major infractions case, Maine is subject to the NCAA's repeat-violator provisions for a five-year period beginning on June 3, 1996.

Should Maine or the head men's ice hockey coach wish to appeal this decision, they must submit a written notice of appeal to the NCAA executive director no later than 15 days following the announcement of the decision. 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; Beverly F. Ledbetter, vice-president and general counsel, Brown University; James L. Richmond, retired judge and attorney; and committee chair David Swank, professor of law, University of Oklahoma.

The complete report of the Committee on Infractions will be published in the September 2 issue of The NCAA Register.