NCAA imposes further sanctions on Arizona
Not satisfied with the self-imposed punishment that University of Arizona put forward, the NCAA has announced that it will levy further sanctions against the school’s men’s basketball program in light of several recruiting violations that occurred during Lute Olsen’s tenure as head coach.
The original sanctions, announced by the university in February, included the loss of a scholarship for the 2011-12 season, a reduction of recruitment visits from coaches and prospective players, and the dissolving of a booster group from which the infractions originally stemmed. The school also announced that it had revised the programs policies to ensure that a situation like this did not happen again.
The NCAA, though pleased that the school acknowledged the infractions, added the forfeiture of 19 wins during the 2007-08 season and cut a second scholarship for the 2013-14 season. The college sports governing body also reduced the number of recruiting days the school is allowed by 30 and enforced an additional cut in recruitment visits – six each for the next two years as opposed to the 11 in 2010 and eight in 2011 that Arizona had originally proposed.
"You take very seriously the sanctions the institution self-imposes, then you weigh that against the gravity of the case and you make a decision whether additional penalties should be imposed," said Paul Dee, chair of the NCAA's infractions committee. "We were pleased that they self-imposed what they did, but we went further."
The university has said that it will not appeal the NCAA’s decision and is happy to be moving forward.
"We're satisfied that the process has reached a conclusion," said Arizona’s director of athletics Greg Byrne. "We have cooperated throughout and respect the findings of the committee. Now it's time for us to move forward with a focus on maintaining the highest standards of integrity within our entire athletics program."
The sanctions stem from two occurrences during the 2007-08 season: the first a violation of the league’s recruiting policies through the promotion of a booster group that funded prospects lodging and travel expenses and the second involving illegal contact on the part of Arizona’s coaches with recruits.
The NCAA report revealed that Olsen, who has since retired due to failing health, was actively promoting the booster club, Rebounders, to the school’s board members, encouraging them to sponsor the club’s activities. The report uncovered a total of $197,000 that came the from university to fund four events, with some of the money going towards athletes travel and lodging, putting Arizona in violation of the NCAA’s strict recruiting bylaws.
The second infraction, which cost the university its wins from 2007-08, was a result of incoming assistant coaches Russ Pennell and Mike Dunlap participating in coaching-related activities with two future players outside the period designated by the NCAA’s recruiting calendar. Arizona’s coaching staff was also found to be guilty of evaluating prospects during one of the four Rebounder’s events, which was not only held during a quiet time in the NCAA’s recruitment schedule but also presented a conflict of interest given the university’s illegal monetary attachment to the event.
Despite none of the sanctions being levelled against him, Olsen has taken responsibility for the gaffe.
"I think that was my fault," Olson told ESPN in a 2008 interview. "That wasn't anyone else's fault. It was my error and it was a big error.”
The university’s report revealed that Olsen had suffered a small stroke that may have affected his decision-making abilities and as a result, chose not to impose any sanctions against him.
The NCAA agreed.
"The committee determined that the coach had retired and any punishment in that regard would be inappropriate," said Dee. "I cannot say his [health] did not come into play. When someone is ill you take that into consideration.”
But some NCAA pundits disagree.
“People aren’t going to forget just because the NCAA asks them to,” said ESPN’s Dana O’Niell. “If the NCAA really wants people to remember the Wildcats have vacated a game or a season, it has to put some muscle behind its sanction. If a coach commits a violation that forces his team to vacate a season or a game, suspend him. Make up a sliding scale -- the more games vacated or more dire the violation, the longer the coach sits.”
Both Pennell and Dunlap are still active in the NCAA, heading up Grand Canyon University’s D-II men’s program.
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