National Collegiate Athletic Association

Division I

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Pepperdine’s probation extended

Pepperdine University must extend its probation by one year for a total of four years as a result of not reducing scholarships in men’s volleyball as required in the school’s 2012 infractions case. According to a report issued by the Division I Committee on Infractions, Pepperdine did not cut 25 percent of its men’s volleyball scholarships, beginning with the 2011-12 academic year, as was proposed by the school and adopted by the committee in the infractions report.

The committee noted it believes the school did not intend to improperly apply the scholarship reductions; however, the school was not clear on how it would apply the reductions.

The initial Pepperdine infractions case involved violations in five sports, including incorrect eligibility certifications of transfer student-athletes and non-athletic scholarships awarded to student-athletes without applying the aid to the total number of athletics scholarships allowed. Penalties in the previous case included three years of probation, a vacation of athletics records and scholarship limitations.

The members of the Division I Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Melissa (Missy) Conboy, acting chair of the Committee on Infractions and deputy director of athletics at the University of Notre Dame; John Black, attorney; Christopher L. Griffin, attorney; James O'Fallon, law professor and faculty athletics representative at the University of Oregon; Eleanor Myers, law professor and faculty athletics representative at Temple University and   Greg Sankey, executive associate commissioner and chief operating officer for the Southeastern Conference.