NCAA Ruling on Infractions

[FIUPantherFan]

Well, not as bad as some had expected, the question is have they already taken the losses (I believed that they had done it in this past academic year) or are these on a go forward basis? I think the increased APR scores show that the implementation of the new procedures by Pete G. have improved things (ofcourse this relates to compliance and APR relates to grades. Go F I U...

From ESPN...(sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3385865&campaign=rss&source=NCBHeadlines)

MIAMI -- Florida International was placed on four years probation by the NCAA on Wednesday and will lose scholarships for a variety of infractions.

More than 40 athletes who competed for the school from the 2002-03 through the 2006-07 academic years violated rules, said Josephine Potuto, chairwoman of the NCAA committee on infractions.

The school, which jumped from NCAA Division I-AA to Division I-A, misapplied enrollment and financial aid rules, transfer requirements and eligibility rules, the NCAA found.

"The institution acknowledges that it was not ready for the move, at least from a compliance standpoint," Potuto said.

The men's basketball program lost one scholarship and its baseball program lost 1.5. The football program was stripped of three scholarships. In all, 11 sports lost scholarships.

The violations were self-reported. Records set during the years of the infractions were erased, and the probationary period is to end May 19, 2012, because the sanctions were added on top of other penalties.

The school said the violations were not intentional.

"Upon discovering these violations, we put in place new compliance procedures that are much more suited to the university FIU has become in the last 10 years," university president Modesto Maidique said. "We now have the level of staffing and the redundancies that will prevent these types of infractions from occurring again in the future."

Rick Mello, the school's former athletic director who became an associate commissioner with the Sun Belt Conference in 2006, declined comment through a Sun Belt spokesman.

[FIUPantherFan]

From the NCAA....

Division I Committee on Infractions Penalizes Florida International University

Embargoed Until

Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 3 p.m. Eastern time
Contact(s)

Stacey Osburn
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117

INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has penalized Florida International University for major NCAA rules violations in its athletics program. The violations include ineligible participation, misapplied financial aid rules and a lack of institutional control.

Penalties for the violations, including those self-imposed by the institution, include four years of probation, a vacation of records and reductions of scholarships in 11 sports.

During the five academic years from 2002-03 through 2006-07, 45 student-athletes in 15 sports were allowed to compete while ineligible as a result of the university's misapplication of basic NCAA eligibility rules. These misapplied rules pertained to full-time enrollment, progress-toward-degree requirements, the "five year" eligibility rule, squad lists and transfers. The university also over-awarded athletic scholarships in three equivalency sports – men's and women's soccer and women's golf – from 2004-05 through 2006-07.

The committee found the violations coincided with the university's rapid move from classification as an NCAA Division I-AA program (now called the Championship Subdivision) to Division I-A (now the Bowl Subdivision).Within four years of the inception of its football program, the university was playing in the highest classification and had added approximately 100 student-athletes to the university's athletic squad lists.

It was found that the university's compliance effort was not expanded or improved as the athletics program grew. The athletics compliance office and academic advising units were understaffed and not all departments on campus had been integrated into the compliance effort. In addition, it was found that the personnel making eligibility certification decisions were not properly educated on NCAA rules and were making decisions using a software system that at times did not contain all of the relevant information.

In determining the penalties, the Committee on Infractions considered the university's cooperation in the investigation; the recent substantial improvements in the compliance system; its status as repeat violator (it is currently on probation from a 2005 case); self-imposed penalties and corrective actions. The penalties are as follows:

• Public reprimand and censure.

• Four additional years of probation to be added to the conclusion of the institution's current probationary period (May 20, 2008). As a result, the institution's probationary period is extended through May 19, 2012.

• The university will vacate all wins in which the 45 student-athletes competed while ineligible, including participation in any NCAA championship. The individual records of the ineligible student-athletes will be vacated as well, including any records accumulated during championship competition. Further, the university's records regarding each affected sport, as well as the record of the former head coaches in those sports, will reflect the vacated records and be recorded in all records publications including, but not limited to, university media guides, recruiting material and university and NCAA archives. Any public reference to tournament performances or individual championships won during this time will be removed, including, but not limited to, athletics department stationery and banners displayed in public areas such as the arenas in which the affected teams compete. Finally, any championship awards shall be returned to the NCAA national office.

• Reduction of grants-in-aid as follows:

o Football, 3 in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Baseball, 1.5 reductions in 2007-08 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Men's Basketball, 1 reduction in 2007-08 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Men's Soccer, 4.3 total, with a reduction of 3.06 in 2007-08 and 1.26 in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Softball, 1 reduction in 2007-08 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Golf, .04 in 2007-08 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Swimming/Diving, .50 reduction in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Soccer, 3.48 total, with reduction of 2.26 in 2007-08 and 1.22 in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Tennis; 1 reduction in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Men's Track/Cross Country; 1.5 reduction in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Track/Cross Country; 2 reductions in 2008-09 (Self-imposed by institution);

o Women's Volleyball, 1 reduction in 2007-08 (Self-imposed by institution).

The Committee on Infractions consists of conference and institutional athletics administrators, faculty and members of the public. The committee independently rules on cases investigated by the NCAA enforcement staff and determines appropriate penalties. The committee's findings may be appealed to the Infractions Appeals Committee.

The members of the Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case are Josephine Potuto, the Richard H. Larson Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Nebraska College of Law and chair of the committee; Alfred Lechner, Jr., attorney; Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly director of athletics at Hampton University; Andrea Meyers, athletic director emeritus, Indiana State University; Gene Marsh, James M. Kidd Sr. Professor of Law at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa School of Law; Jack Friedenthal, professor at George Washington University National Law Center; Thomas Phillips, attorney with the Austin, Texas office of the law firm Baker Botts and formerly the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court; Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly director of athletics at Hampton University; and Yvonne "Bonnie" Slatton, professor of physical education and sport science, University of Iowa.

[MaXx]

There's no reason to over react to these, if you notice, all of the scholarship reductions are self-imposed. We knew about these violations and all the NCAA did was add a year to what we self imposed to the penalties. Let's get this over with and focus on improving our overall athletic program now that we do have the proper infrastructure in place to handle the needs of our athletes.

[FIUPantherFan]

It looks like a lot of the sanctions happened in '07-'08, except for 3 in football. That will give Mario only 22 scholarships for next year which is going to make it that much harder. Being Mario's third class, I think he will have to be more selective and fill in certain positions as opposed to going for everything. Go F I U!

[cj]

im just waiting for these sanctions to be over... P. Garcia is doing a good job in cleaning up so we should see things getting better for us

[fauowns]

May 8, 2008 6:19:17 GMT -5 FIUPantherFan said:

• The university will vacate all wins in which the 45 student-athletes competed while ineligible, including participation in any NCAA championship. The individual records of the ineligible student-athletes will be vacated as well, including any records accumulated during championship competition. Further, the university's records regarding each affected sport, as well as the record of the former head coaches in those sports, will reflect the vacated records and be recorded in all records publications including, but not limited to, university media guides, recruiting material and university and NCAA archives. Any public reference to tournament performances or individual championships won during this time will be removed, including, but not limited to, athletics department stationery and banners displayed in public areas such as the arenas in which the affected teams compete. Finally, any championship awards shall be returned to the NCAA national office.

Have they announced which wins you guys will have to vacate? There doesn't seem to be much about the situation other than these articles repeated over and over.

[FIUPantherFan]

I don't know that I've seen it specified anywhere. I don't think its affected any chamions (i.e. Tanya Lawrence) or other high profile individuals, otherwise I'm sure the reports (newspaper not NCAA) would have pointed it out. Go F I U.

[kevinkagy]

Well that's crummy news. But, it's not terribly bad. I just hope this doesn't us affect us too much.

[posterchild]

honestly three isnt that bad considering that we wee hard pressed to get 22 or whatever we got this year. I think that we can do fine, we have young players and can get by on just filling in the needs for a little bit. I think we need to pay attention to winning games more than anything.

That said this is still disappointing and not good publicity as this ran across the bottom of the ESPN news ticker yesterday. Hopefully when we start winning games we can finally get out from under the shadow of the Brawl and these infractions.

[gpantera]

We're getting killed in the press:

www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/columnists/sfl-flspmikec10sbmay10,0,7064560.story

The negative PR really stings. Can we help ourselves by renaming this section of our blog from "Don Strock Corner" to something that doesn't associate FIU with the guy was part of the leadership that has led to all this public reprimand and embarrassment?

[roaryismyhomeboy]

that article in the sentinal seems awfully slanted......

[Steve]

I would expect a negative article from the Sun Sentinal, after all, they don't consider Miami to be part of South Florida.

[FIUPantherFan]

As an update, this is again good news as far as the APR, hopefully, 2006-2007 was the last year we are on that list. Go F I U!

FIU Athletics Records New Academic High
Courtesy: FIUSports.com
Release: 05/15/2008

Forty-six percent of the Golden Panthers student-athlete population (161 of 349) made academic honors of 3.0 or better and eight recorded perfect 4.0 GPAs during Spring 2008.

After graduating 44 student-athletes at FIU spring commencement ceremonies earlier this month, the Golden Panthers Intercollegiate Athletics Department learned that its Spring 2008 academic grade point average was the highest in the history of the program.

With the posting of spring grades, FIU student-athletes earned a 2.94 GPA for the semester, which was more than one-tenth of a point higher than the 2.82 achieved by the university’s general student population in Fall 2007.

Individually, 46 percent of the Golden Panthers student-athlete population (161 of 349) made academic honors of 3.0 or better and eight recorded perfect 4.0 GPAs on the semester.

Women’s swimming and diving and volleyball shared the highest team grade point averages with 3.22 scores. Twelve members of coach Noemi Zaharia’s swimming and diving team earned honors recognition and two finished with 4.0 averages. Seven of the 12 volleyball players of coach Danijela Tomic were among the Dean’s List and Honor Roll members of the department.

On the men’s side, coach Munga Eketebi’s soccer team posted a 3.0 GPA, the highest average in the history of men’s soccer at FIU.

In football, coach Mario Cristobal’s squad earned a 2.63 GPA, the highest historical team grade point average in the seven years of the program. Thirty football players, or 31-percent of the team, finished the spring with academic honors (3.0-4.0).

Overall, eight of 15 sports teams (indoor and outdoor track and field were combined in the report) posted GPAs of 3.0 or higher and all athletic teams had at least a 2.60 grade point average, another first in the history of the Golden Panthers Athletic Department.

“It is evident that having the right resources in place with the right people has paid dividends for our Athletic program. Because of the commitment we have secured from everyone, beginning with our student-athletes, the results we have accomplished is no surprise,” said Athletic Director Pete Garcia.

“And we expect to continue to do well because academics will never be compromised at FIU. Congratulations go to the staff at the Student-Athlete Academic Center, our coaches and student-athletes.”

[posterchild]

Whoever wrote that article used the same factoid twice in the article, but it is good to see that therehas been such an increase in the SA GPA.