Chancellor Robert Hemenway and Athletics Director Lew Perkins discuss Kansas’ NCAA violations at a press conference July 15.

The University of Kansas Athletics Department is on a two-year probation imposed by Chancellor Robert Hemenway.

On July 15, the Athletics Department released a self-report citing three KU teams for violating NCAA rules: football and women’s and men’s basketball. The violations occurred before Perkins’ arrival in 2003, a KU Athletics Department press release said.

At a press conference also held July 15, Hemenway, Athletics Director Lew Perkins, and Rick Evrard, former NCAA enforcement official and current partner with the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, commented on the incidents.

“I support the Chancellor’s actions and thank him for his guidance, leadership and support,” Perkins said. “There is nothing I want more than to win, but not at the expense of NCAA rules.”

When Perkins arrived at the University, Drue Jennings, interim athletics director, informed Perkins of possible NCAA rules violations, Perkins said. The next day Perkins contacted Evrard to investigate these possible violations and advise the University on NCAA compliance and infraction matters, Perkins said.

Hemenway and Perkins then decided it best to conduct a full compliance audit of the University’s athletics compliance program, Hemenway said. The firm was instructed to investigate and report any NCAA violations. It found several violations that it then included in a self-report and gave to the NCAA, Hemenway said.

The self-report outlined every violation in detail and the corrective measures that would be taken to ensure that the same mistakes didn’t happen in the future, according to the press release.

“We wanted to avoid the appearance of any bias,” Hemenway said. “Our goal is to be as transparent as possible.

“We set very high standards at KU and we are very disappointed that at times we fell short of those standards.”

Perkins said that the student-athletes, especially in the case of men’s basketball, were not to blame. The men’s basketball violation occurred when donors gave men’s basketball players gifts of money and clothes after they had finished their eligibility. Perkins said that the donors were not to blame because they called the basketball offices and asked if it was OK and they were told it was.

Former head coach Roy Williams was notified of the violation, Perkins said.

“He thought it was OK to and he asked someone if it was OK and he was told it was,” Perkins said. “It was a misinterpretation of the rules.”

Evrard said that you can’t provide a student-athlete, past or present, with a gift under the rule of extra benefit.

“The rule of extra benefit goes from enrollment until they die,” Evrard said.

The probationary period began June 7, a decision made by the University. During this time the athletics department will be under heightened scrutiny, Evrard said.

According to the Athletics Department's press release, the violations resulted in numerous self-imposed penalties including scholarship reductions and a two-year probation for the department, imposed by Chancellor Hemenway.

At this time the NCAA is reviewing the self-report. It has assigned an investigator and plans to do follow-up interviews, Evrard said. A set time has not been given, he said, for when the NCAA will decide if it thinks the self-imposed consequences are enough or if it thinks further action should be taken.

Among the violations are:

Men's Basketball

Improperly providing gifts to men's basketball players who had just graduated or who had just exhausted their elligibillity.

Women's Basketball

The following violations were by former assistant coach Tim Eatman:

Making arrangements for housing and employment at privately-owned Naismith Residence Hall for two student-athletes. The amount of work performed was not equivalent to the free room and board the athletes received.

Providing for test preparatory classes for two prospective student athletes.

Participation in out-of-season pickup games and use of program equipment by prospective student-athletes.

Arranging for transportation of two prospective student-athletes by former student-athletes.

Former assistant coach and former interim coach Lynette Woodard in conjunction with Eatman also provided a student-athlete with transportation to an on-campus location where the athlete was to take a test.

Football

Providing assistance in enrolling and scheduling of correspondance classes, as well as monitoring the work's completion, to seven student-athletes in order to facillitate graduation from two-year programs. Three of the student-athletes were allowed to share answers in the process of completing the work.

Several student-athletes received improper tutoring and transportation in the process of completing tests.

Providing clothing to a student-athlete, once while a prospective student-athlete and once while a current student-athlete.

Penalties include:

Men's Basketball

Additional rules training for men's basketball staff.

Women's Basketball

Two fewer scholarships for the 2005-06 school year.

One fewer off-campus recruiting visit.

Additional rules training for women's basketball staff.

Football

Letters of admonishment to assistant coach Clint Bowen and coach Mark Mangino.

A restriction on the number of junior college transfer students to three.

A reduction in the number of scholarships for 2005-06 and 2006-07 school years by one per year.

Additional rules training for football staff.

Neither the women's basketball nor the football program are expected to have utilized all of their scholarships this year, the press release said. Additionally, it said, the Athletics Department has restructured and hired several new individuals for its compliance office.

— Edited by John Scheirman