FAMU upbeat after NCAA
sanctions announcement
February 1, 2006
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida A&M University
administrative officials are taking the high road in regards
to the future of the school's athletic program despite Wednesday's
announcement of NCAA sanctions.
FAMU Athletic Director Nelson Townsend addressed the media
and members of the athletic and coaching staff on the NCAA
declarations during a late afternoon press conference, and
his public stance was quite upbeat:
"Being on probation means simply abiding by the rules
without exception. And that is the culture that I announced
in this room over a month ago (in December, when he accepted
the athletic director's position) that we will adopt in Athletics," Townsend
said.
Even during the probationary period, Florida A&M's will
be able to fully compete for Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
championships in all sports, including the remainder of the
2005-06 school year and for the full extent of the period,
which concludes on January 31, 2010.
"For those in the room, who were concerned about whether
or not our women's and men's basketball teams will be able
to participate in 'March Madness' (i.e. conference tournament,
NCAA Tournament), yes both our teams will be able to play in
the MEAC Tournament and we wish them well and hope to see them
in the championship round on March 11 in Raleigh, North Carolina," Townsend
said.
In addition, men's head coach Mike Gillespie, Sr., and assistant
coach Mike Gillespie, Jr. have been given the all clear to
recruit during the remainder of this school year, after being
restricted from off-campus recruiting as part of the list of
self-imposed penalties.
The majority of the penalties, with the exception of the probation
and some scholarship limitations in football, along with men's
and women's track, will be imposed only during the current
2005-06 school year.
"The dreaded results that many of us hestitantly looked
forward to have not become a reality, due to the leadership
that the university's administration has taken," Townsend
emphasized.
Although FAMU had initially submitted a list of self-imposed
penalties as part of its' own internal report last summer,
the administration took those potential sanctions under review
following their hearing before the NCAA Infractions Committee
in October, electing to reduce the self-sanctions to lessen
the impact on the various sports.
University President Dr. Castell Vaughn Bryant continued with
the forward-looking approach as well Wednesday, stating that: "This
decision by the NCAA has given the university the opportunity
to get our athletic house in order. It supports the approach
already underway to restore confidence and stability in all
facets of the total athletic program, and I accept the report
with an open heart and an open mind."
Dr. Bryant commented further by saying: "The changes
we have made and will make in the near future represent a new
culture of compliance across the university."
President Bryant also extended thanks to the NCAA Committee,
stating: "I want to express my appreciation to the chair
of the Committee of Infractions and the committee as a whole
for the cooperative spirit which they demonstrated in resolving
these issues on the part of the university."
The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced Wednesday
the following penalties to be imposed on Florida A&M University:
•Public reprimand and censure.
•Four years of probation,
which will end on January 31, 2010.
•A reduction in grants-in-aid
in all 15 sports on the following scheedule: baseball grants
are reduced by three in 2005-06; grants in men's and women's
basketball, women's bowling, softball and women's volleyball
grants are each reduced by one in 2005-06; football grants
will be reduced by six in 2005-06, two in 2006-07, three in
2007-08 and three in 2008-09; men's and women's swimming each
reduced grants by two in 2005-06; grants in men's tennis are
reduced by 1.5 in 2005-06; men's track is losing one grant
in both 2005-06 and 2006-07; and women's track is losing two
grants in 2005-06 and one in 2006-07.
•Football practice
time was reduced by 20 hours in 2005-06.
•All contests and records involving ineligible student-athletes
in tthe sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, women's
bowling, softball, men's and women's swimming, men's tennis,
men's and women's track and cross country, and women's volleyball
between the 1998-99 and 2004-05 academic years shall be vacated.
•The institution must continue to develop a comprehensive
educationaal and testing session on NCAA rules, and arrange
for an NCAA compliance review within one year.
"The result was an environment that allowed for violations
of NCAA legislation," said Josephine Potuto, vice-chair
for the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions. "Numerous
bylaws were misinterpreted, large numbers of student-athletes
were certified improperly and many student-athletes competed
while ineligible."
The specific violations against FAMU were:
- 67 student-athletes competed even though they did not
complete the required 24 credit hours in a given year.
- 34 student-athletes competed despite not meeting NCAA
progress-towaard-degree requirements.
- More than 100 student-athletes practiced and competed
before compleeting required NCAA paperwork.
- Twenty-two (22) student-athletes practiced and competed
before theiir high school transcripts were reviewed and they
received certification of their academic eligibility.
- One student-athlete was allowed to compete despite not
choosing a mmajor prior to her third year of enrollment.
- One student-athlete competed without meeting minimum
grade-point avverage requirements.
|
