Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 5, 1993 TAG: 9305050039
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: STATE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Louise Dudley, director of university relations, hesitated when asked if preparations were being made for a news conference.
"Well," she said, then added after a long pause, "they [NCAA officials] are supposed to tell us because we are the ones who make the announcement. That is all I can say."
Schultz, the athletic director at Virginia from 1981-87, met with the NCAA Committee on Infractions this past weekend in Chicago. Doug Tucker, sports editor of The Associated Press in Kansas City, reported that Schultz could lose his job.
"I read one story in USA Today and another report in The Associated Press," Dudley said, "and what struck me was, there was absolutely no hint of attribution."
At issue is how much Schultz knew about interest-free loans made to student-athletes by the Virginia Student Aid Foundation starting in 1982. Schultz said he was aware that the VSAF made loans, but not to student athletes. One-time VSAF executive director Ted Davenport is among those who have disputed Schultz's story.
The probe into Schultz's involvement has been undertaken by James Park, an independent fact-finder from Lexington, Ky. Park's findings weren't mentioned when Virginia officials met with the infractions committee Feb. 8 in San Antonio, Texas, sources said.
Schultz is in Monterrey, Calif., this week for a meeting of the NCAA's Executive Committee and Joint Policy Board, the only group with jurisdiction over the executive director.
"All I can tell you is that this is a highly unusual case," David Swank, chairman of the infractions committee, told The Associated Press. "Beyond that, I can say nothing. It normally takes some time after we conclude a meeting to prepare a report. Less than a week would be highly unusual."
Sources say the report on Virginia will be made public first - possibly as early as Thursday - but Dudley said it was safe to say nobody at the school had a copy of the report or knowledge of its contents.
"No comment," said ACC assistant commissioner and chief compliance officer Dave Thompson, when asked if a report was imminent. Thompson previously has served as a reference for the media on matters pertaining to the NCAA.
A call to athletic director Jim Copeland was returned by associate athletic director Kim Record, who said Copeland was out of his office.
Virginia, in its response to an official letter of inquiry from the NCAA, admitted it violated NCAA legislation in nine areas. The first allegation concerned nine no-interest loans, for slightly more than $3,000, made to six student-athletes between Sept. 1, 1987 and Aug. 30, 1991. UVa said the information was "substantially correct" and admitted it violated Article 16 of the NCAA Manual governing extra benefits.
VSAF made 45 loans between 1982 and 1991, but NCAA enforcement officials have made the interpretation that a four-year statute of limitations applies and Virginia will be held liable for those offenses going back four years from the date of its first public announcement, May 17, 1991.
UVa took more than 11 months to conduct an internal probe and present a 543-page report to the NCAA, which officially began investigating in August.
by CNB