NCAA infractions committee announces Southeast Missouri State University athletic violations

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions announced several sanctions against the Southeast Missouri State University men's and women's basketball teams in a 2 p.m. conference call with media today.

Penalties levied against the university include three years of probation, athletics scholarship reduction, recruiting restrictions and vacation of records.

The following is lifted from an NCAA news release on the university's violations:

The case involves impermissible extra benefits given to two men's basketball student-athletes; the impermissible presence of men's basketball coaching staff members during summer strength and conditioning activities and observations of out-of-season pick-up games; unethical conduct by the former men's basketball head coach and former assistant coach; and impermissible extra benefits given to a women's basketball student-athlete.

The committee found that the impermissible presence of men's basketball coaching staff members during summer strength and conditioning activities and observation of out-of-season pick-up games occurred in 2006 and 2007. The committee also found that impermissible extra benefits were given to two men's basketball student-athletes: one in the amount of $239 for unpaid institutional fees in August 2007, and the other when the former assistant coach drove a student-athlete 171 miles from campus to Memphis in October 2006.

Other violations include unethical conduct by the former head coach for knowing about the program's involvement in NCAA violations and providing false and misleading information to the institution and enforcement staff when questioned about his involvement in and knowledge of possible NCAA violations; unethical conduct by the former assistant coach for failing to act in accordance with the generally recognized high standards of honesty and sportsmanship normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics for his knowing involvement in NCAA violations; and the institution's failure to monitor the men's and women's basketball programs.

In reference to the violations in the women's basketball program, the committee and institution agreed that impermissible extra benefits in the form of cash payments for tuition fees totaling $7,078.61 were given to a women's basketball student-athlete from a booster (known as a "representative of the institution's athletics interest") in the fall of 2007 and the spring and summer of 2008. The young woman had exhausted her eligibility and, despite some financial aid provided by the university, needed additional funds to complete her degree requirements. The committee decided the institution did not take sufficient action to prevent the violations from occurring.

The case also involved a secondary infraction involving impermissible financial aid, which is discussed further in the public report.

The Committee on Infractions noted in its report it was "troubled that the institution has appeared before the committee on two occasions in a one-year period of time," given that the institution appeared before the committee in April 2008 for violations in the women's basketball program.

Penalties in this case include the following:

* Public reprimand and censure.

* Three years of probation to be added to the institution's current two-year probationary period, which was to conclude June 17, 2010, but now concludes on June 17, 2013.

* Reduction by one of the number of scholarships in men's basketball for the 2009-10 academic year from the NCAA maximum limit of 13 to 12. (Self-imposed by the university)

* Reducing the number of off-campus contact and evaluation recruiting opportunities in men's basketball during the 2009-10 academic year by 15. (Self-imposed by the university)

* Reducing the number of occasions in which men's basketball student-athletes may be supervised by strength and conditioning staff to no more than two per week. This is a reduction of 28 opportunities that generally are conducted May-August. (Self-imposed by the university.)

* Disassociating the representative of the institution's athletics interests for three years due to her involvement in the impermissible tuition payments for the student-athlete. (Self-imposed by the university.)

* Vacation of wins in which involved men's basketball student-athletes competed during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons; and the vacation of the individual records of the student-athletes and record of the former men's basketball coach.

* A three-year show-cause period beginning June 30, 2009, and ending June 29, 2012, during which, the athletically related activities of the former head coach at any employing NCAA institution will be restricted, including no in-person contact with any employing institution's men's basketball team members during summer breaks; and if employed at a member institution, attending, at his own cost, an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar during each of the years he is employed.

* A one-year show-cause period beginning June 30, 2009, and ending June 29, 2010, during which, the athletically related activities of the former assistant coach at any employing NCAA institution will be restricted, including no in-person contact with any employing institution's men's basketball team members during summer breaks; and if employed at a member institution, attending, at his own cost, an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar during each of the years he is employed.

Southeast Missouri State University coach Scott Edgar encouraged his players during a timeout against Morehead State in early 2008. The NCAA announced sanctions Thursday against the program for violations in the men's basketball program under Scott Edgar, and violations in the women's basketball program. (Kit Doyle) [Click to enlarge]

Look for reaction to this news later on semissourian.com.