Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Responds to NCAA Inquiry
June 21, 1999 | General
LUBBOCK, Texas - Texas Tech University officials today released a copy of their response to the NCAA Official Letter of Inquiry dated October 31, 1997. Texas Tech officials will attend a closed hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions on April 24-25 in Cleveland.
The meeting in Cleveland will be the next step in the lengthy NCAA investigation. The committee's findings and any additional penalties will not be announced for several weeks.
The university also released several new self-imposed penalties, outlined below:
1. Texas Tech will impose a three-year probation on its intercollegiate athletics program which will include, but not be limited to, the following terms:
a. Request a Big 12 conference compliance review each year to include areas of eligibility certification, financial aid, rules education and NCAA mandatory reporting forms.
b. Institute an audit by the university's Internal Auditor who reports directly to the Board of Regents, to audit eligibility certification, financial aid, and other areas as requested by the President's office.
c. Continue to develop programs of compliance and rules education for the university's coaches, athletic department staff, boosters, student athletes, and others.
d. Direct the athletic council to create a subcommittee for rules compliance to provide review, input, and recommendations for the compliance program.
2. Texas Tech will implement the following financial aid/scholarship reductions in six programs of its athletics department:
a. Men's Basketball Team
The men's basketball team limit will be reduced from 13 to 11 for
the 1998/1999, 1999/2000, and 2000/2001 academic years.
b. Men's Golf Team
The men's golf team equivalency limit will be reduced from 4.5 to
4.1 for the 1998/1999 academic year and 4.5 to 4.18 for the
1999/2000 academic year.
c. Men's Track Team
The men's track team equivalency limit will be reduced from 12.6
to 10.24 for the 1998/1999 academic year.
d. Football Team
The football team initial financial aid awards were reduced from
25 to a maximum of 17 for the 1998/1999 academic year and will be
reduced from 25 to 19 for the 1999/2000 academic year.
e. Women's Basketball Team
The women's basketball team limit will be reduced from 15 to 14
for the 1998/1999 academic year.
f. Baseball Team
The baseball team equivalency limit will be reduced from 11.7 to
8.7 for the 1999/2000 and 2000/2001 academic years and from 11.7
to 10.03 for the 2001/2002 academic year.
3. The university will forfeit those games in which it is determined ineligible players competed. In addition, the university will return the monies received from the 1995/1996 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
4. The university reduced the number of 1997/1998 official visits for recruiting purposes in football from 62 (56 + 6 unused from 1996/1997) to 40. In addition, the university reduced the number of coaches permitted to recruit off campus in football during the December and January evaluation period from 7 to 5. In addition, Texas Tech will now reduce the permissible number of evaluation days in the month of May in football from 20 to 15, with no more than 90 evaluation opportunities as opposed to a permissible 140 opportunities.
Texas Tech Chancellor John T. Montford and President Donald R. Haragan said today in a joint statement: "We have not deviated from our pledge of total and frank cooperation with the NCAA since this administration has been in place.
"We have informed Athletics Director Gerald Myers of the new self-imposed penalties and a copy of that letter along with the full report have gone to the NCAA.
"We are now ready for the Committee on Infractions Hearing on April 24-25 and hope our own corrective and punitive actions will be considered by the NCAA.
"No one is as anxious as we are to put this matter behind us and get on to building Texas Tech's athletics department of into one of the best programs in the nation."
Montford and Haragan also stressed that self-imposed penalties released earlier will be part of the university's presentation during the hearing.
Those earlier self-penalties include the following:
1. Texas Tech withdrew from eligibility to compete in the 1997 Big 12 Championship Football Game on November 6, 1997. Texas Tech also withdrew from eligibility to compete in a post-season bowl game following the 1997 regular season. The university had previously announced on February 26, 1997, that future post-season bowl participation by student athletes would be based upon successful completion of coursework in the semester prior to the post season play.
2. On March 8, 1997, Texas Tech withdrew from eligibility to compete in 1997 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. In addition, Texas Tech forfeited all 11 conference victories from the 1996/1997 Men's Basketball Season.
A Timetable of Events Surrounding the NCAA Investigation Texas Tech University
1996
February 27
S. David Berst, the NCAA's executive
director for enforcement, notifies Texas Tech in writing that the
university's athletic program is the subject of a preliminary
inquiry.
1997
February
Tech initiates an audit of its eligibility/certification procedures.
March 7
Two Texas Tech men's basketball players are declared ineligible
by the university before and during the Red Raiders' game against
Iowa State in the Big 12 Conference Basketball Tournament in
Kansas City. NCAA officials report to Texas Tech that a
misunderstanding of NCAA rules by the school had caused the
players to be improperly certified as eligible for the season.
March 8
Texas Tech withdraws its men's basketball team from NCAA
tournament consideration and forfeits all 11 of its conference
victories for the season.
March 12
Chancellor John T. Montford announces a series of procedural and
personnel changes .
October 2
Texas Tech releases an eligibility certification audit covering
student athletes from 1991 through 1997. The university also
releases a financial aid audit of all sports programs from 1994
through 1997.
November 3
Texas Tech releases to the media the contents of the letter of
official inquiry from the NCAA.
November 6
Texas Tech withdraws its football team from post-season bowl
consideration as a self-imposed penalty resulting from the NCAA
investigation.
1998
February 4
Texas Tech submits additional self-imposed penalties to the
NCAA.
February 26
Texas Tech submits its response to the official letter of inquiry
to the NCAA.
March 30-31
Texas Tech officials attend a pre-conference hearing with NCAA
enforcement staff in Overland Park, Kansas in preparation for a
hearing before the Committee on Infractions.
April 14
Texas Tech releases to the media the university's response to the
NCAA official letter of inquiry and a letter from President
Donald R. Haragan listing additional self-imposed sanctions
resulting from the investigation.
April 24-25
The NCAA Committee on Infractions hearing concerning Texas Tech
University will be held in Cleveland, Ohio.
Approximately 40-50 days later
The NCAA Committee on Infractions will issue its final report and
penalties, if any, against Texas Tech.
