National Collegiate Athletic Association

NCAA News Archive - 2010

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Mar 18, 2010 3:14:30 PM

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has assessed the University of Nevada, Reno, with three years of probation and scholarship reductions for major violations in the school's men's and women's golf programs.

The case involved multiple extra-benefit violations, as well as unethical conduct and a failure to promote rules compliance by the former head men's golf coach.

Other penalties include a financial penalty and a two-year show-cause order for the former men's golf coach, which limits his duties at his present or any future employing institutions.

This case was resolved through combining the summary-disposition process and an in-person hearing. Summary disposition is a cooperative effort in which the involved parties submit the case to the Committee on Infractions in writing. When the NCAA enforcement staff, the university and involved individuals agree to the facts of the case and the university proposes penalties, they may use this process to resolve the case.

As was the case for Nevada, the university may also request a hearing to discuss issues that arise during the summary disposition that are not agreed upon by all parties. In this case, that did not result in any further findings.

This case centered on multiple extra-benefit violations, primarily involving the head men's golf coach, which occurred from the fall of 2004 through fall 2007. These extra benefits included airline tickets; $325 in cash; and impermissible lodging, transportation and meals, among others.

In addition, the committee found the former men's head coach acted unethically when he knowingly furnished the enforcement staff and university with false and misleading information. He also failed to protect the integrity of the investigation as requested by the enforcement staff and refused to furnish information relevant to the investigation. The committee determined that the former women's golf coach provided a student-athlete with free lodging at her home from August 26, 2007, to September 14, 2007.

The committee also found that the scope and nature of the violations in the case demonstrated that the former head coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the men's golf program. The coach failed to consult the university's director of compliance on several occasions and conceded to his role in the rules violations only when he was presented with objective proof, according to the committee.

The penalties in this case include:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Three years of probation from March 18, 2010, through March 17, 2013.
• A limit of 4.0 scholarships in men's golf for both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, which represents a 0.5 reduction from the maximum allowed by NCAA rules.
• A limit of 5.5 scholarships in women's golf for both the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, which represents a 0.5 reduction from the maximum allowed by NCAA rules.
• A financial penalty of $1,500 for the university.
• A two-year show-cause order for the former head men's golf coach from March 18, 2010, to March 17, 2012.

The members of the Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Paul Dee, lecturer in law and education at the University of Miami (Florida) and formerly the institution's athletics director and general counsel. He is the chair of the Committee on Infractions. Other members are Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly director of athletics at Hampton University; James O'Fallon, a law professor and faculty athletic representative for University of Oregon; Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA; and Brian Halloran, attorney and the manager/general counsel of Painted Hills Wind Developers.