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The NCAA News -- April 26, 1999

Infractions case: Saint Joseph's College (Indiana)

The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions has placed Saint Joseph's College (Indiana) on probation for two years and reduced the number of financial aid awards in men's basketball in 1999-00. Other penalties also were levied.

The violations were of NCAA bylaws governing extra benefits, unethical conduct, recruiting inducement, playing seasons and financial aid primarily involving the men's basketball program.

Among the violations, the former head men's basketball coach paid bills totaling $1,600 owed by a basketball student-athlete in August 1997. The student-athlete owed the money to the college and would not have been eligible to enroll the following semester if the bills were not paid. The former head coach also provided impermissible transportation and a meal to a student-athlete and the student-athlete's friend, and also provided $50 in cash to the student-athlete.

The former head coach also violated ethical-conduct rules by providing false and misleading information to the college when questioned about possible rules violations. In addition, the former head men's basketball coach provided basketball skill instruction to several student-athletes outside of the playing season and knowingly violated NCAA bylaws regarding the provision of extra benefits to student-athletes.

During the 1996-97 academic year, at least three student-athletes participated in more than the maximum number of contests permitted in a season for Division II basketball; a volunteer assistant coach provided a student-athlete with wages that were not considered in determining whether the student-athlete's full grant-in-aid had been reached; and during the 1993-94 academic year, an assistant men's basketball coach did not inform a prospective student-athlete that athletics scholarships are renewable on an annual basis.

The university and the NCAA enforcement staff submitted a summary-disposition report to the committee on July 24, 1998. A summary disposition can be used when the enforcement staff, the university and any involved individuals agree on the facts and the facts constitute major violations. The Committee on Infractions considered the summary-disposition report at its meeting on August 10, 1998.

The violations found by the committee included:

  • On August 29, 1997, the former head men's basketball coach paid the institution $1,600 for bills owed by a student-athlete.

  • During the spring of 1997, the former head men's basketball coach provided a student-athlete with impermissible cash, transportation and a meal.

  • The former head men's basketball coach violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct.

  • In January 1997, the former head men's basketball coach provided a prospective student-athlete with impermissible transportation to enroll.

  • In September 1997, the former head men's basketball coach provided several student-athletes with out-of-season skill instruction.

  • During the period 1993-98, the institution failed to consider the earnings of several men's basketball student-athletes in determining whether full grants-in-aid had been reached for the student-athletes.

  • During the 1996-97 academic year, at least three men's basketball student-athletes participated in more than the permissible number of contests.

  • During the 1993-94 academic year, an assistant men's basketball coach failed to inform a prospective student-athlete that his scholarship renewal would not be automatic.

    In determining the appropriate penalties to impose, the committee considered the institution's self-imposed corrective actions, including:

  • The institution suspended the head men's basketball coach from the first five regular-season contests during the 1997-98 season.

  • The institution accepted the head men's basketball coach's resignation, effective June 30, 1998.

  • The institution terminated the employment of a volunteer assistant men's basketball coach, effective August 1, 1998.

  • The institution will maintain records of student-athlete participation in athletics events for a period of four years or until the eligibility of the involved student-athletes has expired.

  • The athletics department created a compliance officer position.

  • The institution will require prior approval of all student-athlete employment.

  • Head coaches will maintain practice log sheets, and the compliance officer and the president of the institution's student-athlete advisory com- mittee will inspect the logs monthly.

  • Recruiting records will become more detailed and the assistant director of athletics will review these records periodically.

  • The director of athletics will conduct end-of-season reviews with all head coaches and examine records for all sports.

  • The compliance officer will conduct monthly coaches meetings and regular on-campus compliance sessions to reinforce NCAA legislation.

    The committee adopted as its own the following penalties proposed or self-imposed by the institution:

  • The men's basketball student-athletes who participated in more than the permissible 27 contests during the 1996-97 season were withheld from the number of contests in which they participated in excess of 27, plus one, during the 1997-98 season.

  • The men's basketball team did not participate in postseason competition during the 1998-99 season.

  • The institution's president will recertify in a letter to the committee that all of the university's current athletics policies and practices conform to all requirements of NCAA regulations.

    The committee imposed the following additional penalties:

  • Public reprimand and censure.

  • Two years of probation from August 10, 1998.

  • The number of total athletically related financial aid awards in men's basketball will be reduced by two during the 1999-00 academic year, which limits the institution to eight total scholarships under current rules.

  • The institution will implement a comprehensive education program on NCAA legislation, provide a preliminary report that sets a schedule for establishing its compliance and educational program, and file annual compliance reports.

    If the head men's basketball coach had still been employed in athletics at the institution, the university would have been required to show cause why it should not be subject to additional penalties if it had failed to take appropriate disciplinary action.

    The former head men's basketball coach has been informed he is subject to show-cause procedures for a two-year period that began August 10, 1998.

    A show-cause penalty requires any NCAA member institution seeking to employ the former coach in an athletically related position during the two-year period to appear before the Committee on Infractions. The Committee on Infractions would be responsible for determining whether the former coach's duties should be limited for a designated period of time.

    As required by NCAA legislation for any institution involved in a major infractions case, Saint Joseph's (Indiana) is subject to the provisions of the NCAA's repeat violators legislation for a five-year period beginning on the effective date of the penalties in this case, August 10,1998.

    Because the university agreed to participate in the summary-disposition process and agreed to the findings of violations in this report, the university has waived the right to appeal the findings.

    The members of the Division II Committee on Infractions who heard this case were: Milton L. Bradley, committee chair, professor of chemistry, Delta State University; Les Brinson, professor of psychology, North Carolina Central University; Frederick B. Lacey, attorney and retired judge, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, Newark, New Jersey; and Kathryn Wilson, director of athletics, Moorhead State University.

    A copy of the complete report from the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions is available upon request or online at NCAA Online, www.ncaa.org.