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Information about NCAA Case
Official web site for details related to The University of Mississippi's NCAA case

To download the NCAA Committee on Infractions public infractions decision please use click here.

 

University of Mississippi Committee on Infractions Decision Summary

On July 25, 2016, the University of Mississippi participated in an in-person hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions regarding allegations involving its Women’s Basketball and Track & Field programs.  Below is a summary of the infractions which occurred along with the resulting penalties.

 

Women’s Basketball Violation Summary

  • Starting in late spring 2012, the former assistant basketball coach, former director of basketball operations and two student-athletes knowingly committed academic fraud in a number of online summer courses. Both student-athletes needed the courses for eligibility.  Additionally, the former assistant basketball coach enrolled and paid for one of the student-athlete’s courses.  Based on the completion of these courses, the institution enrolled the student-athletes and provided them with athletically related aid. (Unethical conduct: academic fraud and impermissible precollege inducements and expenses – Level I)
  • In multiple interviews conducted in fall 2012, two former women’s basketball staff members and two student-athletes provided false and misleading information. The staff members also failed to fulfill their obligations under the cooperative principle.  The student-athletes did not file a response or participate in the hearing.  However, in their final interviews, they admitted they had previously not been truthful. (Unethical conduct: staff and student-athletes providing false or misleading information – Level I)
  • During spring 2012, the former head basketball coach did not fulfill his head coaching responsibilities when he failed to monitor two staff members’ activities surrounding two student-athletes’ online coursework. (Head coach responsibility: failure to monitor activities of staff – Level I)
  • From the press conference announcing the former head basketball coach through summer 2012, the former director of basketball operations and former assistant basketball coach engaged in impermissible telephone-related contacts. (Impermissible contacts – Level II)

 

Track & Field Violation Summary

  • In 2012, former assistant track coach 1 made impermissible recruiting contact with a student-athlete who was enrolled at another NCAA member institution. Additionally, former assistant track coach 2 made impermissible recruiting contact with another student-athlete who was enrolled at another NCAA member institution. (Impermissible contacts – Level II)
  • On approximately eight occasions from September 2012 into January 2013, former assistant track coach 1 conducted impermissible tryouts of 20 women’s track and field and cross country prospective student-athletes when she arranged for the prospects to attend official team practices during their official paid visits and observed the prospects as they ran together with enrolled women’s cross country student-athletes during the practices. (Impermissible tryouts – Level II)
  • In February 2014, former assistant track coach 1 violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when she knowingly provided false or misleading information to the institution and NCAA enforcement staff regarding her knowledge of and/or involvement in violations of NCAA legislation. (Unethical conduct: providing false or misleading information – Level II)
  • In 2012, the former head track coach did not fulfill the NCAA legislated responsibilities of a head coach when he failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance in his program by (1) not reporting former assistant track coach 1’s recruiting activities to the institution; and (2) allowing and/or encouraging former assistant track coach 2 to engage in impermissible recruiting activities. The former head track coach further failed to fulfill the responsibilities of a head coach when, from October 2012 into January 2013, he failed to monitor former assistant track coach 1’s activities regarding weekend runs with prospects and enrolled student-athletes. (Head coach responsibility: failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance and failure to monitor the activities of staff – Level II)
  • In 2013, the former head track coach violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he knowingly provided the institution and NCAA enforcement staff false or misleading information regarding his knowledge of and/or involvement in the impermissible recruiting activities of former assistant track coaches 1 and 2. (Unethical conduct: providing false or misleading information – Level II)
  • On August 11, 2012, former assistant track coach 3 provided a men’s track and field student-athlete with impermissible transportation from the Memphis International Airport to the institution (approximately 70 miles). (Impermissible transportation – Level III)
  • On October 12, 2012, a men’s track and field prospective student-athlete received complimentary hotel lodging during an unofficial visit when he stayed overnight in the hotel room the institution provided to another then men’s track and field prospect who was on an official paid visit. The total monetary value of the lodging was approximately $96. (Impermissible lodging – Level III)
  • On February 17-18, 2013, a men’s track and field prospective student-athlete received two complimentary meals during an unofficial visit. The total monetary value of the meals was approximately $30. (Impermissible meals – Level III)
  • On March 17, 2013, two men’s track and field prospective student-athletes received complimentary hotel lodging during an unofficial visit when they stayed overnight in the hotel room the institution provided to another men’s track and field prospect who was on an official paid visit. The total monetary value of the hotel lodging was approximately $43 each. (Impermissible lodging – Level III)

 

Institutional Penalties

  • Public reprimand and censure.
  • Three years of probation from October 7, 2016, through October 6, 2019, or completion of the final penalty, whichever is later.
  • The institution reduced the total number of athletically related financial aid awards in women’s basketball by two awards during the 2013-14 academic year. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution reduced the number of official paid visits in the women’s basketball program by four (from 12 to eight) during the 2012-13 academic year and two (from 12 to 10) during the 2013-14 academic year. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution reduced the number of official paid visits in the track and field program by 30 (from 60 to 30) during the 2014-15 academic year. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution self-imposed a one-year postseason ban for the women’s basketball program during the 2012-13 academic year. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution reduced the number of recruiting-person days in women’s basketball by 20 recruiting-person days (from 100 to 80) during the 2012-13 academic year. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution reduced the number of recruiting-person days in the track and field program by 14.5 during the 2014-15 academic years (from 63.5 to 49). (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution prohibited the women’s basketball staff from initiating telephone contact with prospects and their families for eight weeks during the Spring 2013 semester. (Institution imposed.)
  • The institution prohibited the women’s basketball program from signing two-year college transfer prospects during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 academic years. (Institution imposed.)