Off the Wire
By DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE PRESS SERVICES
LITTLE ROCK — Colorado draws NCAA sanctions
Colorado was placed on two years’ probation and fined $100,000 by the NCAA on Thursday for inadvertently undercharging 133 athletes for meals totaling $61,700 over six academic years. The school also was ordered to cut one football scholarship for the next three seasons.
The violations are considered “major,” the infractions committee said. The fine is to be paid to a hunger- or homeless-relief charity.
The probation will not limit Colorado’s television exposure or NCAA Tournament appearances, however.
Most of the infractions occurred in football (86) and women’s soccer (29), but also in women’s volleyball (6), tennis (2) and golf (1) and in men’s basketball (9).
Two of the violations found that some walk-on student-athletes paid a dining hall meal-plan rate instead of the higher training-table rate.
“Training table meals are approximately $14, $15,” Athletic Director Mike Bohn said. “Meals at the dining hall are about $7 or $8.”
Bohn said the university compliance officers regulate and approve who gets what meals and when.
The nature of the infractions, because they were inadvertent and promptly reported, gave the NCAA reason to limit the penalty, said Paul Dee, infractions committee chairman.
The university proposed a self-imposed repayment of the undercharged amount to the NCAA, but Dee said because the infractions occurred over such a lengthy period of time - from 2000-2001 through the 2005-2006 academic year - and involved so many student-athletes, the NCAA decided to fine the university $100,000.
