The NCAA News - News and FeaturesJune 16, 1997
Infractions committee adopts Arkansas' self-imposed penalties
The NCAA Committee on Infractions has adopted as its own a number of self-imposed penalties on the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, men's basketball program.
Specifically, the university will reduce by one the number of permissible financial aid awards in the sport during 1996-97 and 1997-98 and will not award any initial financial aid in the sport to junior college transfer student-athletes during 1997-98 and 1998-99, and any men's basketball prospective student-athlete who is not eligible to compete following high school and who enrolls part time at Arkansas before August 1998 will be permanently ineligible to compete at the school.
In addition, Arkansas reduced by two its official visits in the sport during 1996-97 and by one during 1997-98 and cut by 10 the number of combined evaluation days during 1996-97.
The only penalty added by the Committee on Infractions was the requirement that the school continue to develop a compliance monitoring program and report on its actions by April 1998.
The penalties come as a result of violations that occurred during efforts to enroll junior college transfer student-athletes. The Committee on Infractions noted that most of the violations, while inadvertent, were the result of the university's decision to allow three prospective student-athletes to remain at the university while attempting to obtain NCAA eligibility. The committee also expressed concern that there was inadequate monitoring to determine if they were academically qualified.
During the period that the prospective student-athletes were at the university, they were improperly certified as eligible to practice or compete and received improper benefits, including tutoring, typing and assistance in enrolling for correspondence courses.
The NCAA Committee on Infractions heard this case April 19, 1997. Representatives of the university, the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA enforcement staff appeared before the committee.
The violations found by the committee included:
During the 1995 fall semester, the institution erroneously certified two men's basketball prospective student-athletes as eligible and allowed them to practice, receive financial aid or compete while ineligible. These prospective student-athletes met the academic requirements for NCAA eligibility, but institutional representatives failed to ensure that all requirements of NCAA legislation were satisfied prior to their participation.
During the 1995-96 academic year, a men's basketball academic advisor provided improper recruiting inducements to a men's basketball prospective student-athlete by assisting him with his enrollment in two correspondence courses needed for his NCAA eligibility and by typing his course work.
During the spring semester of the 1995-96 academic year, the men's basketball academic advisor provided extra benefits to two men's basketball student-athletes by typing papers at no cost.
During the summer and fall of 1995, the institution provided impermissible tutoring at no cost to three men's basketball prospective student-athletes who were enrolled part time at the university.
During the 1995 spring semester, the institution allowed a prospective student-athlete who was enrolled part time at the institution to receive complimentary tickets to the conference and NCAA tournaments.
The men's basketball academic advisor involved in this case violated NCAA standards of ethical conduct.
There was a secondary violation.
In determining appropriate penalties, the committee considered Arkansas' corrective actions, including:
Appointed a new assistant to the faculty athletics representative whose responsibilities include assisting in the eligibility certification of student-athletes.
Moved the office of the men's basketball academic advisor from the basketball offices to the location where all other athletics academic counseling offices are housed. In addition, the men's basketball academic advisor will be hired and supervised by academic support unit administrators, rather than by the men's basketball coaching staff.
Created an assistant director of athletics for compliance position within the athletics department and reorganized the reporting lines for individuals involved with compliance monitoring for the men's athletics program.
Adopted a policy governing the provision of academic support services to student-athletes and appropriate monitoring procedures to ensure that only eligible student-athletes receive tutoring, including initial verification of eligibility status for each student-athlete who receives support service and weekly monitoring.
Adopted a policy requiring prior approval for any recruited prospective student-athlete to take correspondence courses that will impact eligibility.
Suspended vacation or summer employment for student-athletes at a country club (Springdale Country Club), pending further review.
Implemented more comprehensive policies and procedures to monitor the employment of student-athletes by representatives of the university's athletics interests during summer and vacation periods.
Revised administrative procedures for the distribution of entertainment cash to host student-athletes in all sports.
Imposed salary freezes for the 1996-97 fiscal year on the director of athletics, head men's basketball coach, assistant men's basketball coaches, assistant director of athletics for compliance and academic coordinator. The institution also withheld a performance bonus for one assistant men's basketball coach.
The Committee on Infractions adopted as its own penalties self-imposed by the university and conference, including:
Reduction by one in the number of permissible financial aid awards in men's basketball during each of the 1996-97 and 1997-98 academic years.
Reduction by two in the number of permissible official visits in men's basketball during the 1996-97 academic year and by one during the 1997-98 academic year.
Reduction by 10 in the number of combined evaluation days in men's basketball during the 1996-97 academic year.
Prohibition from awarding initial financial aid awards to men's basketball junior college transfer student-athletes during the 1997-98 and 1998-99 academic years.
Requirement that men's basketball prospective student-athletes who are not eligible upon high-school graduation and who enroll part time at the university between August 1996 and August 1998 shall be permanently ineligible to compete at the university.
Because the violations identified a few weaknesses in the university's certification process and monitoring of compliance, the committee imposed the following additional penalty:
Requirement that the institution continue to develop a comprehensive athletics compliance monitoring program, with a report of its actions in the development and implementation of its improved program to the committee by April 1998.
As required by NCAA legislation for any institution in a major infractions case, Arkansas is subject to the NCAA's repeat-violator provisions for a five-year period beginning on the effective date of the penalties -- in this case, April 19, 1997.
Should Arkansas wish to appeal this decision, it must submit a written notice appeal to the NCAA executive director no later than 15 days from the date of this release. The 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 law school, George Washington University; Frederick B. Lacey, attorney, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae and a retired judge; Beverly E. Ledbetter, vice-president and general counsel, Brown University; Yvonne (Bonnie) 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.
A copy of the complete report from the Committee on Infractions will be published in the July 7 issue of The NCAA Register.
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