|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Four Brown teams found in violation of Ivy League regulations
Posted: Friday April 28, 2000 03:13 PM
By Shannon Tan Providence, Rhode Island (U-WIRE) -- Four sports teams -- football, volleyball, men's basketball and men's soccer -- were found to have violated Ivy League recruiting regulations, University officials said Thursday. But until the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) approves the report filed by Brown detailing its violations and proposing sanctions, the teams will not be disqualified or required to forfeit any games. Violations include improper offers of financial assistance from non-University sources to athletes and recruits, and recruiting activities by several coaches that went against NCAA guidelines. After a recruit reported this to the Ivy League athletics office in late January, the University launched an investigation into its policy of awarding supplemental financial awards to athletic prospects, according to Laura Freid, executive vice president for public affairs and University relations. The review, led by Janina Montero, vice president for campus life and student services, found that financial aid from a particular foundation had been offered and given only to athletes. Less than five alumni have set up such outside foundations affiliated with Brown, Freid said, though she could not release the name of those involved. The Ivy League prohibits athletic scholarships, and the NCAA strictly regulates the source of any aid for athletes, a news release said. And as the University wants to ensure that athletic scholars are treated no different from other scholars, the aid was rendered "impermissible," Freid said. Two first-year athletes who were receiving financial aid from the foundation in question were reviewed by the NCAA and were promptly reinstated, said Athletic Director David Roach. Although the students' financial aid packages will not be changed, funding from the foundation will be discontinued, Freid confirmed. Eight athlete prospects who had received promises of support from the foundation were also cleared by the NCAA to compete on Brown teams. Five of these prospects are coming to Brown in the fall, Freid said. According to the report, a volleyball coach contacted a foundation to endorse the scholarship candidacy of an athletic recruit. Phil Estes, Glen Miller, and Mike Noonan -- head coaches of football, men's basketball, and men's soccer teams, respectively, provided prospects with information about the foundation. Dave Zucconi, executive director of the Brown Sports Foundation (BSF), and an assistant football coach had both suggested to prospective athletes and their families that foundations would "furnish financial aid beyond demonstrated financial need," the news release said. "The families understood that this aid would be offered because the students were recruited athletes," the statement read. Also, a member of the University's governing body had talked with a prospect's family at a football banquet during an official visit to campus. Alumni are not allowed to have contact with prospects and their families during the recruiting process, Roach said, and an alumnus who represents athletic interests at Brown had improper contacts with prospects. As a result of the investigation, an alumnus has resigned from his committee assignments at Brown. Proposed remedies Brown's football team will be permitted approximately 10 percent fewer official visits from prospects for one year. On average, 50 prospects visited Brown for each of the last three years, Roach said. No more than six football coaches may participate in off-campus recruiting during any one week for the 2000-01 academic year. Over a four year cycle, 35 matriculants on average come to Brown to play football, Roach said, but this number will be reduced by five over the next two years. Volleyball, men's soccer, and men's basketball teams also had their number of official visits reduced by one for the following year. The report also recommends that three coaches receive a letter of reprimand. Two coaches will receive letters of admonishment requiring them to clear any source of financial aid with the Department of Athletics and the Office of Financial Aid. Four administrators will receive letters of advisement about their oversight with regard to outside scholarships, and one alumnus will receive a letter about his role in supplemental financial aid. All football coaches will be required to participate in extra NCAA and Ivy League rules education, attend a spring 2000 NCAA compliance seminar, and take this year's required NCAA exam closed-book. Zucconi has to attend individual NCAA rules meetings, take periodic NCAA rules examinations, and submit monthly reports of all job-related activities to senior administrators. BSF staff are also prohibited from any contact with prospective student athletes and from providing assistance to athletes at Brown, including helping them to find jobs, at least through the 2000-01 year, pending a review by a committee of senior administrators. "We have received the report and have accepted its findings and remedies with regard to Ivy League issues," said Jeffrey Orleans, executive director of the Ivy League office based in Princeton, N.J. A factor in these violations was Brown's amendment of its financial aid policies in February 1999, Freid said. This allowed students to use supplemental or non-university scholarships to reduce the self-help requirement of their financial aid packages. Prior to that, students who received financial aid had to depend on grants, loans, and campus employment.
| ||||||||||||||
