Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The NCAA levied harsh sanctions against Texas
Southern's athletic program on Tuesday, including the banning of the football
program from postseason eligibility in 2013 and '14 and the men's basketball
program in 2012-13.
The NCAA cited recruiting violations, academic improprieties, the use of
ineligible athletes and exceeding scholarship limits across the athletic
program.
The Division I Infractions Committee report said Texas Southern is a "double
repeat violator" and that its athletics program has been on probation or had
violations occurring on campus, or both, for 16 of the past 20 years.
The violations included a lack of institutional control and widespread
violations, spanning 13 sports over a seven-year period. The report said the
university allowed 129 student-athletes to compete and receive financial aid
and travel expenses while ineligible. They had not met progress toward degree
or transfer requirements.
Former head football coach Johnnie Cole, who was fired last year after leading
the program to the 2010 SWAC championship, was prominent in the report. The
NCAA said Cole and three former assistant football coaches were aware of a
booster contacting potential transfers and their parents and that they allowed
him to purchase an airline ticket for a prospective student-athlete's
girlfriend through an acquaintance of Cole.
The report said the penalties in this case include:
- Public reprimand and censure.
- Five years probation from Oct. 9, 2012, through Oct. 8, 2017.
- Postseason ban for the 2013 and 2014 football seasons and 2012-13 men's
basketball season.
- Three-year show-cause orders for Cole and former head men's basketball coach
Tony Harvey. The public report contains further details.
- A limit of no more than 65 overall counters, 25 initial counters (from 30
maximum) and 60 equivalency scholarships (from 63 maximum) in football for four
academic years.
- A limit of 11 men's basketball scholarships (from 13 maximum) for three
academic years.
- Due to health and safety concerns related to the reductions in scholarships
and squad size, during probation, the football team may only compete against
FCS member schools.
- Vacation of all team records for the 2006-07 through 2009-10 academic years
in all sports, and vacation of all team records for the 2010-11 academic year
in football and women's soccer (self-imposed by the university).
- Reduction in the available number of recruiting person days by 10 for men's
basketball during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years (self-imposed by the
university).
- During the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years, the university may only use
half the available evaluation days in both the spring and fall evaluation
periods in football.
- Football official paid visits are limited to 30 total per year for football
and nine total per year for men's basketball during the 2011-12 and 2012-13
academic years.
- An in-person review of the university's athletics policies and practices must
be conducted annually, at the university's expense, through the term of
probation. The review must generate a report of his/her findings, to be
submitted with the annual compliance reports and submitted to the committee.
The Sports Network