Ball State University is currently working with the NCAA trying to resolve violations that occurred with its book-loan and softball programs, which the NCAA considers major violations.
While the violations are not related and would be secondary if considered separately, Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said the NCAA considers all of the infractions together to be a major violation.
Book-loan violations involved athletes receiving extra benefits, while softball violations involved the team exceeding allowable practice time under the direction of former coach Terri Laux.
Instead of having a hearing in front of the NCAA Committee on Infractions about the violations, Ball State and the NCAA have agreed to prepare a report outlining the facts of the violations and penalties and corrective action needed, Collins said. The process, called summary disposition, can only occur when both sides agree on a majority of the facts and everyone involved is cooperating.
"We're not disputing a lot of the facts," Collins said. "Matter of fact we turned ourselves in on the book loan and we turned ourselves in on some of the softball issues."
Beginning in the summer of 2005, the athletic department found through an internal review that student-athletes were misusing the book-loan program. According to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, the university investigated 606 student-athletes who competed between January of 2003 and Fall Semester 2005. Of those, 66 student-athletes were found in violation, with costs of violations ranging from $9 to $1,644.55. The total value of improper books was $26,944.40, according to documents obtained. The university was unable to resolve instances involving 50 former athletes.
In May of 2005 the NCAA initiated an investigation of the softball program, and it was mutually determined that between 1999 and 2005 Laux exceeded the weekly practice restrictions because she misinterpreted NCAA bylaws, according to documents the university supplied. Those bylaws related to counting player participation in camps, clinics and fund-raising events, according to documents. Laux also exceeded practice hours for some players between 2002 and 2004 because more players than were allowed participated in "skills" sessions, according to documents.
"Clearly we practiced more than we should have, and clearly we've got to take some time off for that," Collins said. "We're trying to do that in a reasonable method that won't necessarily hurt the team, but we have to pay a penalty for it too."
Penalties beyond what Ball State has already instituted could be imposed by the Committee on Infractions after they review the summary disposition. Collins said he wasn't sure how long it would be until the final summary disposition report was complete and ready to present to the committee.
Ball State University has had one other major violation, which involved recruiting, extra benefits ethical conduct and institutional control in the men's basketball program in 1993. According to the public infraction report on the NCAA's Web site, the case was also handled through summary disposition, and it was determined the men's basketball team would receive one less scholarship and two fewer official visits during 1994-95 and 1995-96, one fewer coach would be allowed to recruit for a one-year period and the university would be placed on probation for two years.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
