NCAA completes investigation of Mizzou Men’s Basketball
The NCAA released its report on the University of Missouri men’s basketball team. The NCAA concluded the University failed to monitor its men’s basketball program, which committed several NCAA violations as early as July 2011.
While Missouri announced its investigation and self-imposed penalties in January 2016, the NCAA still look over the University’s findings and decide whether to add additional sanctions.
On Tuesday, The NCAA’s Division-I Committee of Infractions announced it accepted Missouri’s self-imposed sanctions, which included a postseason ban for the 2015-2016 season, scholarship reductions and vacating wins from the 2013-2014 seasons. The committee also stated it would place the program under probation for an additional year, which runs through August 1, 2017.
You can read the committee’s report here.
The investigation stems from impermissible benefits given to student-athletes. The report said several boosters provided impermissible benefits that totaled $11,402. The extra benefits include meals, lodging, travel and compensation for work not performed. As part of its self-imposed sanctions, Missouri disassociated itself from the boosters in question.
The report did not identify the student-athletes who received the impermissible benefits.
According to the findings, the violations happened during Frank Haith’s tenure as Mizzou Men’s Basketball coach. The report singles out the “then-associate head coach” when listing the program’s violation. The only associate head coach working for Mizzou Men’s Basketball at the time was Tim Fuller. In January, the University of Missouri stated there was no evidence linking current Mizzou coach Kim Anderson and his staff to these violations.
Below are the notable self-imposed penalties from Mizzou Men’s Basketball Program:
– Postseason ban for 2015-2016 season
– Pay a $5,000 fine
– One loss of scholarship for the 2016-2017 season OR the 2017-2018 school year
– Six-week ban on telephone communication with prospective student-athletes until the end of the 2016-2017 season
– Public reprimand and censure
– Vacate wins during 2013-2014 season in which the student-athletes in question participated in.
– Disassociate with the boosters who provided the impermissible benefits.
Below is a statement from Missouri’s Interim Chancellor and Athletic Director Hank Foley:
“As responsible members of the SEC and the NCAA, we chose to self-report potential violations of bylaws and self-impose certain sanctions. Today’s release of the Summary of Findings by the NCAA is a clear indication this was a wise decision by the University and allows us to put these issues behind us as we continue to rebuild a top-notch basketball program.” “
Statement from Mizzou Men’s Basketball Coach Kim Anderson:
“Through cooperation between NCAA personnel, the University of Missouri and our Mizzou Athletics staff, we are now able to draw this process to a close. It has been my desire to move our program forward since learning of what had taken place. My staff and I are fully invested in our student-athletes and helping them achieve their goals on and off the court. Our program will continue to represent the University and the state of Missouri with honor and integrity.”
