Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, May 7, 1993 TAG: 9305070239
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The UVa athletic department was placed on two-year probation and the football program was limited to 86 and 83 total scholarships for the next two years - in each case two under the NCAA limit.
In addition, UVa will lose one of its two graduate assistant coaches for one year. A repeat major violation within five years could bring the "death penalty," which allows the NCAA to shut down the offending sport indefinitely.
"We believe the NCAA's process has been an equitable and fair one," school President John Casteen said. "I think it's important to say that the university agrees with and accepts the findings. We do not intend to appeal."
David Swank, chairman of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, announced the findings in a telephone news conference at 10 a.m. Thursday, shortly after the committee report was made public at Virginia.
The report did not deal with Dick Schultz, athletic director at UVa from 1981-87. The NCAA appointed James Park, an independent investigator, to determine Schultz's involvement. Schultz now is the executive director of the NCAA.
Virginia was found guilty of violations in 13 areas, many pertaining to activities of the Virginia Student Aid Foundation. The violations included interest-free loans to student-athletes, a practice that sparked an internal probe in May 1991.
Four of the violations involved graduate-assistant coaches, who received interest-free loans or excess compensation, or were not enrolled in a minimum number of credit hours.
"Several of these violations would have been classified as secondary [not requiring penalties] if they had been reported promptly," the committee said.
Nevertheless, the committee cited Virginia's cooperation, the termination of three former officials and corrective measures taken by the school as reasons for imposing lesser penalties.
The minimum penalties for a major violation include two-year probation, a one-year ban on postseason competition and television appearances, and elimination of off-campus recruiting and expenses-paid recruiting visits for one year.
"Everybody talks about the ban on postseason play and TV," football coach George Welsh said, "but when you look at some of the other penalties, like not recruiting off campus, that would have been really hard on us."
Alan Williams, the UVa history professor who was named to the infractions committee in 1983 and was chairman when his term ended in September, said relatively few programs in recent years have received the "minimum" penalty.
"There has been a very large number of cases like that," Williams said. "In fact, they're changing the name. It has been recommended that they keep the penalty but change the name to `presumptive penalties.' "
The reduction in scholarships will not have an immediate effect on football, which is expecting no more than 84 scholarship players this fall, including the most recent recruiting class.
The scholarship number would rise to 86 if wide receiver Larry Holmes and defensive Kareem Martin regain their eligibility, "but right now I don't think we're in the position of not renewing somebody," Welsh said.
Welsh said he has hired one graduate assistant for next year and will not add a second.
"Obviously, there were a lot of things with the graduate assistants that I wish I could have done better," Welsh said. "I just bought into the system that was in place.
"There were some mistakes made by human beings. I never said I was beyond reproach."
Football was the only program that received specific penalties, mostly because the enforcement staff chose to consider only those offenses that took place after May 17, 1987 - four years before the date of initial disclosure.
In its internal report, Virginia detailed 45 loans to 30 student-athletes, but it was the interpretation of the enforcement staff that a statute of limitations applied because there was no pattern of willful behavior.
"Mr. Park reviewed [the statute] and we reviewed it as well," said Swank, the infractions chairman. "Most of the loans were relatively isolated [and most] were for small amounts, many to buy health insurance.
"The loan program had stopped for a substantial period of time and did not commence again until some months after Dick Schultz left [in 1987]."
It was unclear whether Swank was referring to a break of 9 1/2 months between loans in December 1986 and September 1987. There were loans made every year from 1982-90.
"I was hopeful [the statute] would apply," Copeland said, "but I was not in position to make a judgment. There were other mitigating factors, such as the way our investigation was conducted, that would have existed if the limit was not there."
Casteen said he started to receive information on the NCAA findings around 7 p.m. Wednesday. Members of the inquiry group had copies of the report in their hands by approximately 8 p.m.
"On the basis of what I learned from [UVa's] inquiry and my assessment of questions that were asked at our hearing and press accounts, I don't find the penalty surprising," Casteen said. "I feel it's consistent with other NCAA actions."
What Casteen described as "a long, painful ordeal" came at no small cost to Virginia. Expenses of $366,000 came out of the athletic department reserves, and that does not count fees incurred by the Virginia Student Aid Foundation in fighting legal action.
\ THE REPORT ON VIRGINIA
NCAA SANCTIONS AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA FOR MAKING IMPROPER LOANS TO ATHLETES AND COACHES AFFILIATED WITH FOUR SPORTS
SANCTIONS The NCAA put all athletic programs on a two-year probation.
During one of those two years, the football team will be allowed to have just one graduate assistant coach instead of two.
The football program has been limited to 86 and 83 total scholarships for the next two years - in each case two under the NCAA limit.
The school was directed to develop and implement a program to educate its athletic department personnel about NCAA legislation.
The school is subject to the repeat violator rule, or the "death penalty," if further violations occur within the next five years. (The minimum penalties for a "major" violation include two-year probation, a one-year ban on postseason competition and television appearances, and elimination of off-campus recruiting and expenses-paid recruiting visits for one year.)
VIOLATIONS Providing extra benefits by making interest-free loans to student-athletes receiving full grants-in-aid.
Providing extra compensation in excess of the value of a full grant-in-aid by making interest-free loans to graduate assistant football coaches for their personal use.
Providing extra compensation in exceds of the value of a full grant-in-aid by failing properly to administer what were, in effect, interest-free loans to graduate assistant coaches.
Paying graduate assistant coaches for their services in amounts in excess of the value of a full grant-in-aid.
Paying graduate football coaches monthly stipends when they were not enrolled in at least 50 percent of the institution's minimum regular program of graduate studies.
Making errors in the awarding and canceling of grants-in-aid to numerous student-athletes.
Failing to require coaching staff members to properly report income and benefits from outside sources.
Permitting coaching staff members to receive improper compensation and supplemental income from outside sources.
Providing extra benefits to student-athletes by providing housing during the summer when they were not receiving their grants, and by failing to collect for damages done to apartments that were paid for by the institution.
Improperly providing tickets to prospects for postseason events.
\ x-Permitting the use of funds to recruit prospective student-athletes that were not deposited with and in the control of the institution.
x-Failing to exercise proper institutional control over the athletics department and the Virginia Student Aid Foundation. (x-These two violations are combined in an NCAA news release but are treated separately in the infractions report.)
by CNB