The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions has placed Lincoln University (Missouri) on probation for four years, limited its football financial aid, recruiting and transfers, and adopted institutional forfeitures of competitions and records in several sports.

Those were among several penalties resulting from an investigation into participation by a number of ineligible student-athletes in football, men's basketball, women's cross country, women's track and field, and men's golf. The institution cooperated fully with the investigation and agreed with the facts of the case.

The committee concluded that the infractions indicated an overall lack of institutional control by Lincoln over its athletics program.

"Allowing ineligible student-athletes to compete provided this institution with a substantial competitive advantage and was the direct result of the institution failing to install a comprehensive compliance system operated by individuals possessing the appropriate background and knowledge," the report states.

Specifically, the Committee on Infractions found that the institution erroneously certified six student-athletes, who were two-year college transfers and NCAA nonqualifiers out of high school, without ensuring the student-athletes had earned enough transferable-degree credit and the minimum grade-point average of 2.0 at their two-year institutions. All six were allowed to compete and five received financial aid.

The committee also found two freshmen who were allowed to participate in conditioning and practice even though they were NCAA nonqualifiers out of high school.

In addition, there were four instances in which the institution immediately certified student-athletes transferring from four-year institutions, even though they did not meet all criteria for the one-time transfer exception. The exception allows athletes immediate eligibility if they meet minimum academic criteria, receive a release from their previous institution and have not used the exception in the past.

There also was an instance of the institution certifying a qualifier who had transferred from a two-year institution even though the student-athlete had not met the minimum enrollment requirements at her previous institution.

The committee determined that the institution's alumni chapters improperly financed educational expenses totaling $1,925 for two football student-athletes.

The committee commended the institution for the corrective actions it has taken since the case began in 2002, including the creation of a compliance checklist that all student-athletes must complete before being allowed to compete. The checklist will be reviewed and cross-checked by a number of institution officials.

The university also implemented a number of workshops intended to improve its compliance system and educate staff and student-athletes on NCAA legislation.

In addition, the involved individuals, which included the athletics director, the football coach and the men's basketball coach/compliance director, are no longer with the athletics department. The institution has required current coaches to sign a contract agreeing to abide by NCAA legislation.

As a result of the findings and actions taken, the committee has determined that Lincoln is placed on probation, effective January 26, 2005, for four years. The institution had self-imposed a two-year penalty for the football team. The committee extended the penalty to four years because of the competitive advantage created by the violations and the need to monitor the corrective measures taken by the institution for a longer period. The probation was extended to all sports because the lack of oversight affected numerous sports.

During the probationary period, the university shall continue to develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation, including seminars and testing designed for coaches, the faculty athletics representative, athletics department personnel, and university staff responsible for certification of student-athletes for admission, retention, financial aid or competition.

The university must submit a preliminary report to the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions by March 30, 2005, that includes a schedule for establishing the compliance and educational program. It must also file annual compliance reports indicating progress made with this program.

Other penalties include:

• The institution will be publicly reprimanded and censured.

• The institution will reduce its football grants-in-aid equivalencies to 23 for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 academic years. The institution had granted 24 full grants-in-aid each year, even though the Division II cap is 36.

• The institution limited its football program to 10 transfer student-athletes per year in 2005-06 and 2006-07.

• The institution forfeited its 2001 season in football and vacated all team and individual records related to the performances of ineligible student-athletes for the 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years.

• The institution forfeited its 2002-03 season in men's basketball and vacated all team and individual records relating to the performances of ineligible student-athletes for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 academic years.

• The institution vacated all team and individual records related to performances by ineligible student-athletes in women's cross country and track and field during the 2000-01 and 2001-02 academic years.

* The institution self-imposed a limit of 15 expense-paid football recruiting visits to campus for the 2005-06 academic year.

• The institution self-imposed a ban on postseason competition in football for 2005.

• The institution must request that NCAA staff conduct a Blueprint Compliance Review and comply with its recommendations.

• The institution must develop educational materials for representatives of the institution's athletics interests and alumni chapters.

The committee determined that no individual sanctions were necessary because the violations were not intentional and the involved athletics department officials were terminated, left the program or had been reassigned before the violations surfaced.

The members of the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions who heard the case are Larry Blumberg, committee chair and faculty athletics representative, Washburn University of Topeka; Les Brinson, faculty athletics representative, North Carolina Central University; Bruce Kirsh, athletics director, Franklin Pierce College; and Alfred L. Lechner, Jr., attorney, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, LLP.