NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions Releases Chadron State Report

On November 6, 2013, the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions (COI) released its report in the case involving Chadron State College. The COI found the institution failed to exercise control over its athletics department and the former head football coach failed to adhere to NCAA ethical conduct legislation. Specifically, the former head football coach maintained outside bank accounts for the football program, provided extra benefits to student-athletes and provided false or misleading information during interviews with the school. Additionally, the institution permitted a football student-athlete to compete while ineligible, failed to ensure that all coaches signed their squad lists before the team’s first game and failed to ensure records of countable practice hours for student-athletes were maintained. Based upon the COI’s findings, the following penalties have been imposed:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Three years of probation from November 6, 2013 through November 5, 2016.
• A $5,000 fine.
• A vacation of results for the football program for the 2011 and 2012 football seasons. The public report contains further details.
• A two-year show cause order for the former head coach.
• A two-year show cause order for the former director of athletics.
• A reduction of paid official visits by 15 for the football program, from 75 to 60, for the 2013-14 academic year (self-imposed by the school).
• Withholding of one full-time coach from recruiting off-campus for the spring and fall 2013 recruiting periods (self-imposed by the school).
• An external audit of the school’s athletics program will be conducted (self-imposed by the school).

In light of this enforcement case, Buckner recommends NCAA Division II institutions take into account the following considerations:

• Hire at least one full-time athletics compliance administrator.
• Provide for professional development opportunities relating to athletics compliance for athletics compliance staff members and other institutional staff members whose responsibilities interface with athletics.
• Ensure the institution’s accounting department (or an external accounting firm) review all athletics department expenditures to confirm compliance with both NCAA legislation and institutional protocol.
• Conduct a regular internal review of athletics compliance policies and procedures and rules-education programming to ensure monitoring systems are operating effectively, and institutional staff members, coaches and student-athletes have a proper understanding of NCAA legislation.
• Retain an experienced firm to conduct an athletics compliance audit regularly (at least once every four years).

The full report can be found here.