Oregon University Proposes 2-year Ban Following Recruitment Violations in Football Program
ByThe University of Oregon has proposed a two-year self-imposed ban with the loss of one scholarship for the next three years following a NCAA investigation into its Duck's football program that revealed major violations in football recruitment from 2008-11.
However, the university doesn't agree on other violations cited by NCAA.
Meanwhile, the result of the ongoing investigation by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) into the football program has not yet been disclosed.
The association started examining the university's infringements after becoming aware of "oral reports" the university would receive from recruiting companies like Willie Lyles' Complete Scouting Services (CSS), and two other companies, New Level Athletics and Elite Scouting Services. The NCAA bylaws do not allow oral reports. Recruiting companies are required to give quarterly written updates, even videos are acceptable,
Later, Lyles, who was paid $25,000, tried to send outdated recruiting material beginning Feb. 22, 2011, by sending written reports and material to cover up the oral reports he had been sending to the university over the last few years.
A summary disposition signed last October by Oregon President Michael Gottfredson and athletics director Rob Mullen, agrees that the findings represent a major infractions case.
NCAA also found no 'lack of institutional control' in its investigation along with no evidence of unethical conduct, so the penalties might not be as severe as they were for Penn State, Southern California and other colleges, who were penalized heavily for their respective violations.
The university released 515 pages of documents, Monday, in response to public records requests.
An excerpt of the report:
"There were underlying major violations coupled with failure to monitor violations involving the head coach (2009 through 2011) and the athletics department (2008-2011). While the violations were not intentional in nature, coaches and administrators of a sports program at an NCAA member institution have an obligation to ensure that the activities being engaged in comply with NCAA legislation.''
The violations are set to have occurred under Chip Kelly, former head coach of the Dukes for the past four years, 2009-12.
Kelly left the university in January to become the head coach at NFL's Philadelphia Eagles for a five-year, $32.5 million contract.
Kelly is likely to go unpunished.
"I am aware of the recent reports and of the ongoing investigation being conducted by the NCAA and the University of Oregon. While at Oregon, I know we were fully cooperative with all aspects of the investigation and I will continue to contribute in any way that I can," Kelly said in a statement, Tuesday.
The university will appear before the NCAA's committee on infractions later this year.