Kansas Releases Self-Report To NCAA

July 15, 2005

UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS RELEASES SELF-REPORT DETAILING NCAA VIOLATIONS THAT OCCURRED DURING A PERIOD THAT ENDED IN 2003

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The University of Kansas Athletics Department today released a report it delivered last month to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), detailing violations of NCAA rules in three sports – football, and men’s and women’s basketball – that occurred during a period that ended in 2003.

The report, which was prepared over the past two years by an outside agency, also lists penalties KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway has imposed upon the athletics department after discussions with Athletics Director Lew Perkins, and corrective measures the athletics department has instituted since the summer of 2003 to help ensure compliance with NCAA rules.

The NCAA, in a letter dated July 1, 2005, informed Kansas that, consistent with its enforcement department’s policies and procedures, its staff is reviewing the University’s self-report and conducting follow-up interviews. In the letter, NCAA Vice-President David Price told Hemenway the enforcement staff intends to complete this process by the fall.

Hemenway and Perkins initiated the University’s investigation immediately after Perkins arrived at KU in June 2003. On Perkins’ first day on the job – June 11, 2003 – former interim athletics director Drue Jennings informed Perkins of possible NCAA rules violations. That same day Perkins contacted Rick Evrard, a former NCAA enforcement official currently a partner with the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King in Overland Park, Ks., and asked him to investigate these possible violations and to advise the University on NCAA compliance and infractions matters. Soon thereafter Hemenway and Perkins instructed Evrard to conduct a full compliance audit of the University’s athletics compliance program, and to recommend changes for restructuring, if necessary. They instructed the firm to identify, investigate and report any violations of NCAA rules that the firm discovered during its review of the program. During this audit, the firm discovered several possible rules violations. The University included all such violations in its self-report to the NCAA.

Immediately after his hiring, Perkins began to reshape the Kansas athletics department. He restructured the staff, hired new compliance personnel and increased the number of employees in that office.

“We are very disappointed that at times we fell short of the high standards we set for ourselves at the University of Kansas,” Hemenway said. “That is why I have imposed a two-year probationary period on our athletics department. The probation does not include television or postseason sanctions; it acknowledges, however, that lapses have previously occurred and that we will not tolerate further mistakes. I have discussed these issues extensively with Lew, and I have every confidence that the team he is putting together is committed to operating within the framework of Big 12 and NCAA principles and philosophies.

“Over the past 24 months,” Hemenway continued, “we have engaged in a thorough process that I am confident has put us on the right track so that we can consistently meet our high standards now and in the future.

“We have followed all NCAA and Big 12 Conference enforcement procedures since this process began,” Hemenway said. “We contacted the NCAA and the Conference; we hired an outside agency to ensure an unbiased investigation; we have self-imposed appropriate penalties to recognize our mistakes, and we have instituted corrective measures to help ensure this does not happen again.”

Perkins said the report speaks for itself and represents everything the University knows and has reported to the NCAA. “We have nothing to hide,” Perkins said. “Further, if we discover any additional information about these or any other issues, we will investigate fully and follow the same procedures. We began this investigation as soon as we found out that violations may have occurred. We actively followed up on every piece of information; we discovered errors and we self-reported them as we are expected to do as members of the NCAA. We wish we did not have to go through this process, but we believe in the process and, in the end, it will make us better.”

QUOTES FROM UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEAD COACHES

Men’s Basketball Coach Bill Self:

“It is unfortunate that the parties involved were unaware that the gifts were improper. But Lew and his staff are building a great compliance program that will help prevent incidents like this from happening in the future.”

Women’s Basketball Coach Bonnie Henrickson:

“Lew Perkins discussed these compliance issues with me during my interview process, so my staff and I have known about this since Day One. I appreciate Lew’s forthrightness, and I think the penalties we have self-imposed are appropriate. We look forward to putting this behind us as soon as the NCAA completes its investigation.”

Football Coach Mark Mangino:

“I am disappointed that this occurred under my watch. I did not know these violations were occurring at the time, but as the head coach I am aware that ultimately I am responsible for the actions of my staff.

“I believe the penalties we have self-imposed are appropriate. My staff and I have made a commitment to this University that we will not compromise with regard to academic integrity and NCAA rules compliance. We are deeply committed to both of these goals, and I have implemented safeguards to ensure that this will not happen again.”

Following is a list of violations, Kansas’ self-imposed penalties and corrective measures instituted by the University.

Men’s Basketball

Violation:

With the approval of then head men’s basketball coach Roy Williams, at the completion of the 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 men’s basketball seasons, three representatives of the University’s athletics interests (Dana Anderson, Joan Edwards and Bernard Morgan) provided gifts of cash and clothing to graduating men’s basketball student-athletes and men’s basketball student-athletes who had exhausted their eligibility.

Corrective measure:

The University will provide additional rules education for all of the men’s basketball coaches and student-athletes regarding gifts after eligibility has been exhausted.

Women’s Basketball

Violations:

During the summer of 2002, then University assistant women’s basketball coach Tim Eatman made arrangements for two prospective student-athletes to receive housing and employment at Naismith Hall, an off-campus, privately owned dormitory used by the

University’s women’s basketball student-athletes. The arrangement required that they work in the dining facility of the dormitory in exchange for the cost of housing and meals. The value of the work they performed was insufficient to pay the cost for the time they lived at the dormitory.

During the summer of 2002, then University assistant women’s basketball coach Tim Eatman made arrangements for two prospective student-athletes to attend Kaplan Test Preparation Center to help them achieve scores on the standardized tests that would enable them to participate and receive institutional financial aid at the University.

During the late summer and early fall of 2002, two prospective student-athletes participated in out-of-season pickup games and workouts with then current members of the University’s women’s basketball team at University facilities. Additionally, they were permitted to utilize these facilities for their personal training, workouts and practices because of their status as prospective women’s basketball student-athletes.

During the summer and fall of 2002, then University assistant women’s basketball coach Tim Eatman made arrangements for transportation for two prospective student-athletes with two former student-athletes.

During the fall semester of 2002, then University assistant women’s basketball coaches Tim Eatman and Lynette Woodard provided transportation to a prospective student-athlete on two separate occasions to a location on the University’s campus where she was scheduled to take a standardized test.

Penalties and corrective measures:

The University will reduce the number of initial grant-in aid awards by two (13) for the 2005-06 season.

The University will reduce the number of permissible off-campus recruiting coaches by one (from 3 to 2) for a one-year period (2005-06).

The University will provide additional rules education for all members of the women’s basketball coaching staff on the permissible activities in dealing with prospective student-athletes.

Football

Violations:

During the summer of 2003, seven former football prospective student-athletes were provided with assistance in enrollment and scheduling correspondence courses in order for the prospective student-athletes to obtain required course work to graduate from their respective two-year institutions.

Members of the football coaching staff monitored the daily studies of several prospective student-athletes in their completion of online correspondence course work. Also, prospective student-athletes were permitted to use the graduate assistant coaches’ offices and computers in completing their course work.

Three former prospective student-athletes were allowed to share answers in completing their online course work for correspondence courses.

Several prospective student-athletes received improper assistance through the arrangements of academic assistance at the University’s coaches’ offices and for a test proctor. Also, some of the prospective student-athletes received improper transportation from campus to the high school and back to campus on a few occasions.

On August 7, 2003, a former football staff member served as a proctor for two or three prospective student-athletes and administered, on the University’s campus, an examination for correspondence courses being taken by the prospective student-athletes.

On approximately August 7, 2003, a former football staff member provided two prospective student-athletes with tutoring, study assistance, and answers to a correspondence course examination.

Former football staff members mailed correspondence examinations to Brigham Young University on behalf of several prospective student-athletes who had taken the examinations.

Former assistant coach Tyrone Dixon provided clothing to a former student-athlete on two separate occasions – once when he was a prospective student-athlete, and once when he was an enrolled student-athlete.

Penalties and corrective measures:

A letter of admonishment has been issued to assistant football coach Clint Bowen for his involvement with the correspondence courses.

A letter of admonishment has been issued to head football coach Mark Mangino because of his overall responsibility for the program.

The University will restrict the number of two-year college transfer student-athletes into the football program to 3 per year for two years (2005 and 2006) based on the average number of two-year college transfers for the past three years (9 per year).

The University will reduce the number of initial grant-in-aid awards in football by one in 2005-06 (24) and one in 2006-07 (24).

Additional rules education on academic requirements will be provided to all members of the football coaching staff.

Additional Penalties and Corrective Measures:

Chancellor Robert Hemenway has imposed a two-year probation on the University’s athletics department. The probation does not carry with it any television or postseason sanctions. During this period the University will provide to the NCAA semi-annual compliance reports indicating the progress made with each program and documenting its compliance with the self-imposed penalties.

The University has restructured the academic advising office to centralize responsibility for academic support for all prospective and enrolled student-athletes under the Associate Director of Athletics for Student Support Services.

The University has prepared an in-depth compliance manual it will send to all representatives of the University’s athletics interests reminding them of NCAA rules and regulations.

The University has increased its compliance staff by two full-time and one part-time position and will add one additional full-time position prior to the 2005-06 academic year. Additionally, the athletics department has budgeted for one additional full-time position beginning in the 2007-2008 academic year.

The University has contracted with an outside firm to have annual athletics department-wide compliance reviews performed.

– Intro
– Women’s Basketball
– Football
– Men’s Basketball
– General Issues
– Exhibit 1
– Exhibit 2
– Exhibit 3
– Chancellor Robert Hemenway Comments
– Athletics Director Lew Perkins Comments