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UA officials respond to NCAA’s ruling on basketball infractions

by on Jul. 29, 2010, under Sports

UA athletic director Greg Byrne says the school accepts the penalties levied by the NCAA in regards to the men's basketball program (TucsonCitizen.com photo)

The NCAA Committee on Infractions report finalized penalties imposed on the Arizona men’s basketball program that included scholarship losses in 2012-13, reductions in official on-campus visits and evaluations, and vacating 19 victories from the 2007-08 season.

The university will not appeal the decision.

The NCAA approved the UA’s previous self-imposed penalty of one reduced scholarship for 2011-12 as well as visit limitations and evaluations. Therefore, after next season, the UA will operate with 12 scholarship players in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

“We’re satisfied that the process has reached a conclusion,” said Greg Byrne, UA director of athletics, in a quote provided by the university. “We have cooperated throughout and respect the findings of the committee. Now it’s time for us to move forward with a focus on maintaining the highest standards of integrity within our entire athletics program.”

The infractions in question occurred prior to head men’s basketball coach Sean Miller‘s hiring in April of 2009.

“I know that our university and athletic department went to great lengths to demonstrate institutional integrity in handling this matter, which includes our self-imposed sanctions,” Miller is quoted as saying by Arizona. “We are all looking forward to a bright future as we continue to develop and build our basketball program with integrity at the forefront of everything we strive to accomplish. I am very happy for our current players that today’s sanctions won’t affect their future, nor will it affect the prospects that we are currently recruiting to our great university.”

UA president Robert N. Shelton‘s reaction: “I am pleased to have this matter resolved and am confident in the future of our basketball program under the leadership of Coach Miller. The UA is committed to maintaining the highest standards of compliance and integrity in our athletics program.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 29th, 2010 at 4:38 pm and is filed under Sports. Tags for this post: , , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

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  • Pingback: @TC.com: UA reacts to NCAA sanctions | "Tell them … tell the team to bear down"

  • Mark B. Evans

    This seems overly harsh, especially when you take into consideration Lute Olson’s condition at the time. I don’t think Lute had any idea what he was doing, which his confused denial of having done it only proves. It’s one thing if a coach intentionally cheats, or is willfully ignorant of cheating (Pete Carroll).  But a coach suffering the after effects of a stroke? Come on!

  • sethers

    I agree. I think the NCAA went over the top with this one, but I guess I am not surprised. The NCAA is basically a not for profit Gestapo and I think they have been drooling to make a statement against these tournaments for a while. If you really want to get perturbed read what ESPN.com’s Dana O’Neil has to say about it.

  • http://www.landrovergeeks.com Land Rover

    The NCAA definitely went too far with this one.  It seems to me they did not consider the mitigating circumstances surrounding Lute Olson’s condition at all.  NCAA is turning into a BS organization that accomplishes nothing of good.

  • fraser007

    And Lute worked alone? Guess there was nobody else working in the office?

  • vegasallen

    Arizona is not the first nor the last NCAA school to be punished more harshly than it’s fans expected. Miller knew this was looming when he took the job. Objectively, the net effect on the program will be minimal.

  • vegasallen

    The worst part of this is that Lute Olson’s legacy will be somewhat tarnished. The fact that a medical condition happened to Olson at some undetermined point will be a distant second in an historical sense.

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  • Pingback: Goodbye Again: Lute Olson and the Arizona Wildcats suffer one last defeat - UAsports.net

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