The West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference announced that Salem International will not be eligible to participate in the conference’s postseason tournaments during the 2009-10 academic year due to findings of a recently completed NCAA investigation and subsequent penalties.

The NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions penalized Salem International in November 2008 for major violations in its athletics program, including a lack of institutional control and failure to monitor by the university. Penalties included three years of probation, a vacation of records and scholarship reductions in select sports, including men’s and women’s basketball.

The WVIAC action means that Salem International athletics teams will compete during the league’s regular-season schedules but not in the postseason. Salem International also cannot win WVIAC regular-season championships. However, student-athletes will be eligible for all individual awards, including all-conference honors and weekly accolades.

“While it is evident that SIU has taken steps to place safeguards to address rules compliance and institutional-control problems, these programs and processes need to be reviewed for an entire academic cycle to restore the trust needed by other conference members in SIU to have them compete for conference championships,” said WVIAC Commissioner Barry Blizzard. “It is my hope that Salem International will be stronger and ready to compete for WVIAC championships at the end of this process.”

Blizzard commended Salem International Chancellor William Brooks and Athletics Director Keith Bullion for “forthright discussions of these issues, many of which occurred prior to their charge at SIU.”

The WVIAC will monitor Salem International’s progress in rules compliance during the suspension through visits and communication with university staff.  The commissioner’s office will report to the WVIAC board of directors on the school’s status at the end of the one-year suspension.

“Salem International is committed to fielding competitive teams within strict compliance to all NCAA and conference rules and regulations,” said Bullion. “The university is building on the changes enacted in the past two seasons and looks forward to continued progress on both of these goals.”