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Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
From: NCAA.org >Media Center
3/18/2022 2:00:00 PM
Saquandra Heath
NCAA violations occurred at Alaska Fairbanks
The school failed to implement effective compliance monitoring processes
MARCH 2022 ALASKA FAIRBANKS PUBLIC DECISION (PDF)
Alaska Fairbanks improperly certified 42 student-athletes in nine Division II sport programs, violating amateurism and academic certification rules from the 2017-18 through 2020-21 academic years, according to a negotiated resolution agreement approved by the Division II Committee on Infractions. Additionally, according to a separate negotiated resolution agreement approved by the Division I Committee on Infractions, the men's ice hockey staff of the school's Division I men's ice hockey program violated impermissible inducement and benefits rules when they arranged free or reduced-cost lodging for 18 incoming prospective student-athletes. As a result of the impermissible inducement and benefit violations, the head men's ice hockey coach violated head coach responsibility rules. The school also agreed that it failed to adequately monitor its eligibility certification process and the men's ice hockey program.
This case marks the first Division II negotiated resolution. The negotiated resolution process, which was adopted by the Division II membership in January, offers an efficient processing option when parties agree to the facts, violations and penalties of a case. Alaska Fairbanks also used the negotiated resolution process for violations that occurred in men's ice hockey, a Division I program. Alaska Fairbanks is a multidivisional school, with most sport programs sponsored at the Division II level, while men's ice hockey is sponsored at the Division I level. Thus, the Division I Committee on Infractions reviewed and approved the agreement related to the men's ice hockey violations, while the Division II Committee on Infractions reviewed and approved the agreement involving the certification violations. ...
Division I
Impermissible inducement and benefits violations
Alaska Fairbanks, the head men's ice hockey coach and the NCAA enforcement staff agreed that the men's ice hockey coaching staff violated impermissible inducement and benefits rules when they arranged free or reduced-cost lodging for at least 18 incoming prospective student-athletes to stay with representatives and current student-athletes before the school's dorms opened for the fall semester. The impermissible benefits totaled more than $2,000. As a result of the violations, eight student-athletes competed and received actual and necessary expenses while ineligible.
Additionally, a representative of the school athletics interests provided an impermissible benefit by allowing three student-athletes to use their vehicle on an as-needed basis for at least 15 days. ...
Penalties
For the men's ice hockey violations, the school, the head men's ice hockey coach and the enforcement staff used ranges identified by the Division I membership-approved infractions penalty guidelines to agree on Level II-Standard penalties for the school and Level II-Mitigated penalties for the head coach. For the certification-related violations, the school and the enforcement staff used past case guidance and Division II Bylaw 19.5 to agree upon penalties for the school. The agreements contain the full list of penalties approved by the Division I and II Committees on Infractions, including:
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- Three years of probation.
- A $7,500 fine.
- A two-week ban on off-campus recruiting contacts, evaluations and recruiting communications in men's ice hockey during the 2021-22 academic year.
- A 2% competition suspension during the men's ice hockey regular season for the head coach (at Alaska Fairbanks or any school that employs him).
- Vacation of team and individual records in which student-athletes competed while ineligible.
- The school must undergo an outside audit of its athletics policies and procedures.
- The athletics director and compliance staff must attend NCAA Regional Rules Seminars each year of the probationary period.
- All staff members with eligibility certification-related responsibilities must also attend Regional Rules Seminars during the first two years of the probationary period. ...
NCAA violations occurred at Alaska Fairbanks - NCAA.org
Alaska Fairbanks improperly certified 42 student-athletes in nine Division II sport programs, violating amateurism and academic certification rules from the 2017-18 through 2020-21 academic years, according to a negotiated resolution agreement approved by the Division II Committee on...www.ncaa.org
