ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) -New Mexico plans to self-impose penalties, including the reduction of two scholarships for next season, in response to an NCAA investigation into academic fraud involving the school’s football team.
According to a report released Wednesday, New Mexico also proposes cutting the number of coaches who can recruit off campus from seven to six for the next two seasons and reducing the number of official visits to recruits by four during the 2007-08 recruiting period. The university imposed two years’ probation on the program.
The NCAA notified the university of its investigation in a Sept. 6 letter, saying it was looking into four potential rules violations involving three members of New Mexico’s football coaching staff.
None of the coaches has been identified, and names were deleted from copies of the school’s response that were distributed to reporters. Athletic director Paul Krebs has said two coaches are no longer on staff. Head coach Rocky Long is not accused of any wrongdoing.
“We’re disappointed and we’re embarrassed to say that we believe three of the four allegations are accurate,” Krebs said.
New Mexico is contesting the allegation that an assistant coach who remains on the staff interfered with the NCAA investigation.
The assistants were accused of helping four prospective student athletes and one student athlete already enrolled at New Mexico to improperly obtain credits through correspondence courses at Fresno Pacific University.
Only two of the five played for the Lobos. No current players are involved in the case, which dates from the spring of 2004 and fall of 2005. The school first learned of the violations in July 2006.
Krebs has said that administrators, including Long, weren’t aware of the violations when they occurred.
New Mexico administrators must appear before the NCAA’s infractions committee in the spring. Committee members then will decide whether to accept the self-imposed penalties or levy additional sanctions.
Add A Comment