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The NCAA News -- December 20, 1999

Infractions case: University of Arkansas, Little Rock

The University of Arkansas, Little Rock, has been placed on two years of probation and received other penalties from the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions for NCAA rules violations of bylaws governing extra benefits, recruiting and institutional control involving the men's and women's basketball programs.

The university and NCAA enforcement staff agreed to use the summary-disposition process, which is used when the university, enforcement staff and involved individuals agree on the facts of an infractions case and that those facts comprise major violations.

The Division I Committee on Infractions reviewed the case during its September 1999 meeting, accepted the findings of violations and then reached agreement with the university regarding appropriate penalties. The committee commended the institution for its prompt self-reporting of violations and its exemplary cooperation and participation throughout the investigation.

The case involved violations that occurred primarily during the 1997-98 academic year concerning a representative of the university's athletics interests and impermissible contact with a prospective student-athlete, improper provision of transportation, and provision of cash, meals, and use of a vehicle by student-athletes in violation of extra-benefits legislation.

Specifically, a representative of the university's athletics interests had contact with a prospective student-athlete, including providing transportation to the student-athlete to sign a national letter of intent. The representative also provided cash payments of $100 to several men's basketball players, a meal and use of his vehicle.

The committee concurred with the institution's own assessment that it failed to exercise appropriate institutional control in its men's basketball program by neglecting to monitor the activities of a representative of the university's athletics interests and for failure to monitor the summer housing arrangements of two prospective student-athletes.

In the women's basketball program, the committee agreed with the school and the enforcement staff that secondary violations of NCAA legislation occurred when a former assistant women's basketball coach arranged for an individual to solicit the enrollment of a foreign prospective student-athlete. The committee agreed that the violation was secondary in nature because the incident was isolated and mechanisms were in place in the athletics department to detect a potential violation.

The university imposed a number of corrective actions, which were considered by the committee. Among the actions, the university:

  • Instituted a required course for all incoming freshmen and transfer student-athletes on "Ethics and NCAA Regulations."

  • Began a summer rules education workshop for university athletics personnel with emphasis on recruiting, amateurism and institutional control.

  • Developed a sign-up form for all nonathletics personnel attending a practice session. The form is designed to identify potential representatives of athletics interests.

  • Agreed to develop and distribute to prospective student-athletes a form and a list of applicable NCAA legislation. The information also will be included in the university's coaches' manual.

  • Drafted new bylaws for its foundation requiring board members to attend an NCAA rules education workshop.

  • Issued letters of reprimand to the former head men's basketball coach and a current assistant men's basketball coach.

  • As a part of the student-athlete eligibility process, the university required suspension from contests, financial restitution to local charities and community service.

  • Required resignation of an assistant women's basketball coach.

  • Issued a letter of reprimand to the head women's basketball coach.

  • Ceased all contact with the former assistant women's basketball coach as it relates to prospective and current student-athletes.

  • Ceased all contact with the owner of the scouting service.

  • Required the women's basketball coaching staff to attend an educational session on NCAA legislation.

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

  • reduce by three the number of paid recruiting visits for men's basketball from 12 to nine for the 1999-00 academic year.

  • reduce by one the number of permissible recruiters who may engage in any off-campus recruiting activities (from three to two) for one recruiting year (1999-00).

    n prohibit the recruitment of prospective junior college transfer student-athletes for men's basketball for a period of one academic year (1999-00).

    n The institution disassociated an athletics representative from the athletics program.

    n The women's basketball coaching staff will not recruit international student-athletes for a one-year period (1999-00).

    n Declared one student-athlete ineligible.

    n Reduction of one full grant-in-aid for the 2000-01 academic year.

    n Reduction of one official recruiting visit for the 2000-01 academic year.

    The committee agreed with and approved of the university's actions but imposed the following additional penalties:

    n Public reprimand and censure.

    n Two years of probation from September 25, 1999.

    n A requirement that the university develop a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation and provide reports to the NCAA.

    n The university'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.

    As required by NCAA legislation for any institution involved in a major infractions case, Arkansas-Little Rock is subject to the NCAA's repeat-violator provisions for a five-year period beginning on the effective date of the penalties -- in this case, September 25, 1999.

    Because the university and involved coaches agreed to the summary-disposition process, they waive the opportunity to appeal the decisions made in this case.

    The members of the Division I Committee on Infractions who heard this case are: Jack Friedenthal, committee chair and professor of law, George Washington University; Richard J. Dunn, professor of English, University of Washington; Frederick B. Lacey, attorney and retired judge, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, Newark, New Jersey; Gene A. Marsh, professor of law, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa; James Park, Jr., attorney and retired judge, Brown, Todd & Heyburn, Lexington, Kentucky; Josephine R. Potuto, professor of law, University of Nebraska, Lincoln; and Thomas E. Yeager, commissioner, Colonial Athletic Association.

    A copy of the complete report from the Division I Committee on Infractions is available on NCAA Online at www.ncaa.org.