FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
TEMPE, AZ – ASU announced that it has self-imposed sanctions and corrective actions on its baseball program for violating NCAA rules. These actions result from an investigation initiated by ASU in association with the Pacific-10 Conference in January 2008 and a subsequent investigation by the NCAA.
“Arizona State University remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of integrity in its athletics programs,” said Lisa Love, vice president for University Athletics. “ASU baseball, in particular, based on a remarkable, competitive heritage has the unique potential to be exemplary on and off the field.”
The ASU investigation found that from January 2004 to June 2009 the baseball coaching staff made approximately 500 impermissible telephone contacts with prospective student-athletes in violation of the one-call-per-week rule.
Additionally, an impermissible recruiter on staff with the baseball program was involved in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete who committed to and played for ASU and that the former head baseball coach should have been aware of the staff member’s role. The investigation also uncovered several other areas of rules infractions.
The new sanctions self-imposed by the university have both retroactive and prospective effect and include: vacating 44 of its 49 wins and post-season honors in the 2007 season; conducting annual audits of telephone calls during the term of probation; prohibiting recruiting phone calls for baseball for the months of July 2010 and July 2011; reducing the number of permitted official baseball prospect visits from 25 to nine for the academic year 2010-2011; and reducing scholarships for baseball by 2.0 at the earliest opportunity, but not later than the 2011-2012 academic year.
These sanctions apply to the baseball program and do not affect the university’s other sports programs.
These sanctions are in addition to sanctions and corrective actions that ASU previously instituted and completed when its violation report was submitted to the Pac-10 Conference in July 2008. At that time, the sanctions and corrective actions included a letter of reprimand for the head coach, self-imposed limitations on recruitment and practice activities by coaches, improved record-keeping by PTM Programs for Youth and the baseball program, increased compliance oversight, rules education and periodic reports to the Pac-10 Conference.
Until the NCAA enforcement process is concluded, the university will not comment further on specific details of the allegations.
