NCAA Places Southern Athletics on Five Years Probation, Citing Lack of Institution Control After 218 Athletes Improperly Certified Over Six-Year Period

By ADD SEYMOUR JR.

After finding that more than 200 student-athletes were improperly certified over a six-year period for all of their 15 inter-collegiate athletic teams, the NCAA has placed the Southern University athletics department on five years probation, until Nov. 15, 2021.

As detailed in the NCAA's Public Infractions Report released Nov. 16, there were 439 instances involving 218 student-athletes.

"Southern University lacked institutional control when it failed to monitor its eligibility process, did not properly apply financial aid rules and did not comply with Committees on Academic Performance penalties," according to a Division I Committee on Infractions panel.

The panel blamed errors when academic records were transferred from an outdated system to a new system; poor record-keeping within the athletics department; and a lack of training and involvement by campus departments outside of athletics in the certification process.

Southern University officials accepted the panel's penalty of five years probation, a vacation of records involving ineligible student-athletes.  The University also self-imposed a $5,000 fine and scholarship reduction in softball, baseball, football, women's volleyball, both men's and women's track, and men's and women's basketball.

According to the NCAA:

"Over a four-year period, the university exceeded scholarship and counter limits in five sports when it did not properly apply financial aid rules to state tuition waivers. Louisiana state law allows all student-athletes who receive athletics scholarships to qualify for in-state tuition. NCAA rules require that tuition waivers like the Louisiana law be considered countable aid. In some instances, the university did not properly account for the waiver when determining scholarship packages for student-athletes, resulting in the university exceeding scholarship limits in baseball, women’s and men’s track, football and softball.

The Committee on Academic Performance previously required the university to reduce the amount of in-season playing and practice time for all sports because it did not meet certain NCAA academic performance benchmarks. The Committee on Academic Performance also reduced out-of-season practice time and the number of contests for men’s and women’s track, men’s basketball and football. Because of turnover at the university, especially in the compliance office, the university did not communicate the restrictions to the coaches, and the penalties were not completed.

There was also an allegation that involved a former athletics director, but the panel concluded that he did not violate NCAA rules."

Southern's Interim Athletic Director Roman Banks said "the violations detailed in the public report mostly occurred in the past and that no current student-athlete is ineligible as a result of the violations outlined in the public report."

"Today's outcome is the end of a long journey," said Southern University System President-Chancellor Ray L. Belton. "Going forward, we remain committed to investing to ensure we have the infrastructure to support a productive athletic program and strong institutional control and outstanding NCAA compliance."

The full report can be seen at http://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/2016INF_SouthernPublicInfractionsDecision_20161116.pdf

Here are the penalties imposed by the NCAA and self-imposed by Southern:

Penalties prescribed by the panel include the following:

• Public reprimand and censure for the university.
• Five years of probation from Nov. 16, 2016, through Nov. 15, 2021.
• A vacation of records in which student-athletes competed while ineligible. After the release of the public report, the university will identify the competitions affected.

The panel accepted the following penalties self-imposed by the university:

• A $5,000 fine.
• A reduction of women’s soccer scholarships by one during the 2016-17 academic year and by one during the 2017-18 academic year.
• A reduction of softball scholarships by 1.5 during the 2016-17 academic year, by 1.5 during the 2017-18 academic year and by 0.78 during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of baseball scholarships by 2.3 during the 2016-17 academic year, by 2.3 during the 2017-18 academic year and by 2.3 during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of football scholarships by five during the 2016-17 academic year, by five during the 2017-18 academic year and by five during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of women’s volleyball scholarships by one during the 2016-17 academic year and by one during the 2017-18 academic year.
• A reduction of men’s track scholarships by 2.11 during the 2016-17 academic year, by 2.11 during the 2017-18 academic year and by 2.1 during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of women’s track scholarships by 3.6 during the 2016-17 academic year, by 3.6 during the 2017-18 academic year and by 3.6 during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of men’s basketball scholarships by one during the 2016-17 academic year, by one during the 2017-18 academic year and by one during the 2018-19 academic year.
• A reduction of women’s basketball scholarships by one during the 2016-17 academic year, by one during the 2017-18 academic year and by one during the 2018-19 academic year.