By Pat Eaton-Robb
The Associated Press
HARTFORD, Conn.
The University of Connecticut has admitted its men's basketball program committed major NCAA recruiting violations and has imposed its own sanctions, including two years' probation and a loss of one scholarship for the next two seasons.
But the university said the evidence does not support the NCAA allegation that coach Jim Calhoun - who has won two national titles with the Huskies - failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance.
In a report released Friday, the school acknowledges its basketball staff made impermissible telephone calls and text messages as cited by the NCAA in a May report that followed a 15-month investigation. It also admits it improperly provided free game tickets to high school coaches and others.
A hearing is set for Oct. 15 before the NCAA infractions committee, which could accept UConn's decision or impose additional penalties.
"I am deeply disappointed the university is in this position," University of Connecticut President Philip E. Austin said in a statement. "It is clear mistakes have been made. This is a serious matter, and we have worked in full cooperation with the NCAA.
"We look forward to fully resolving these issues and restoring our men's basketball program to a level of unquestioned integrity."
The NCAA and the school have been investigating the program since shortly after a report by Yahoo! Sports in March 2009 that former team manager Josh Nochimson helped guide former player Nate Miles to Connecticut, giving him lodging, transportation, meals and representation.
The school's responses to the allegations, totaling more than 700 pages, were made public Friday after the school redacted items to comply with federal education privacy laws.
Calhoun said in his own response that he investigated whether there was an improper relationship between Nochimson and the recruit, and warned the player against getting involved with Nochimson.
"If a prospect and an agent are going to engage in conduct violative of NCAA legislation hundreds and thousands of miles away from campus, there is only so much a head coach can do to prevent the conduct," his attorney wrote.
The school sided with Calhoun saying it does not agree that he "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance," because he took steps to deter the recruit's relationship with Nochimson and did not know that Nochimson provided benefits.
The school said improper calls were made to fewer than 10 recruits and found that Calhoun made only two improper calls.
Calhoun's response also said he was not involved with the vast majority of the improper benefits, did not know they were being provided and "made reasonable efforts" to try to avoid the situation.
"Calhoun understands his obligation to monitor his staff and to report his knowledge of potential violations," wrote his attorney, Scott Tompsett.
In 1996, UConn was stripped of its NCAA tournament run to the regional semifinals and ordered to return $90,970 in tournament revenue because two players accepted plane tickets from a sports agent.
But this is the first time the program has received a letter from the NCAA accusing the school of major violations .
In the May report, UConn was cited as an institution for not adequately monitoring "the conduct and administration of the men's basketball staff." The school acknowledged that violation, but said the NCAA has agreed to reduce the time period for that violation from four years to two, spanning 2007-09.
Among the allegations against UConn is that former staff members Beau Archibald and Patrick Sellers provided false and misleading information to NCAA investigators .
Under the self-imposed sanctions, the scholarships for the men's basketball program have been reduced from 13 to 12 for the 2010-11 and 2011-12 academic years. The school also has agreed to reduce the number of coaches to make calls to recruits and the number of "recruiting person days."
The school acknowledged its basketball staff made impermissible telephone calls and text messages as cited by the NCAA in a May report that followed a 15-month investigation. It also admits it improperly provided free game tickets to high school coaches and others. UConn: We're not guilty
The university said evidence does not support the NCAA allegation that coach Jim Calhoun (pictured above) - who has won two national titles with the Huskies - failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance. what's next?
A hearing is set for Oct. 15 before the NCAA infractions committee. It could accept the Huskies' self-imposed sanctions - including two years' probation and a loss of one scholarship for the next two seasons - or impose additional penalties.
