Neuheisel being investigated by NCAA

According to an Associated Press report appearing on ESPN.com, the NCAA is investigating Rick Neuheisel for alleged recruiting violations, which occurred from 1996-1998, when he coached at the University of Colorado, this according to CU officials.

According to the report, the alleged violations include the following:

Improper visits were allegedly made to 25 prospective athletes outside of appropriate contact periods.
CU allegedly failed to recover athletic apparel provided for campus visit weekends and had inadequate equipment room monitoring.
Neuheisel is accused of not properly documenting the use of a private jet for recruiting.
An unauthorized athletic department staff member attended a baseball game in which a prospective athlete played.

According to CU officials, Nueheisel and his coaching staff were cited for a "lack of institutional control."

Fifty-five secondary violations are listed in the NCAA's 30-page official letter, some with multiple violations.

In January 1999, a news article--believed to be from the Portland Oregonian (January 1988)--concerning a recruit's visit prompted the NCAA to warn Colorado of possible recruiting violations. In the article, the story included a photo of Taylor Barton, Rick Neuheisel and two Colorado assistant coaches, which is a rules' violation. A reporter and photographer accompanied Barton, out of Beaverton, on his recruiting visit to Colorado. In July 2001, the NCAA notified the University of Colorado of its investigation involving recruiting practices.

The NCAA has a four-year statute of limitations from the time it receives a letter of inquiry about possible infractions until a review is completed; however, there are exceptions to this statute.

Since Neuheisel has taken a job at a new school, the NCAA could ask Washington to "show cause" why Neuheisel's coaching duties shouldn't be limited. Also, the NCAA could fine the University of Washington.

According to news reports, these options are usually reserved for primary violations. In this case, it appears that the rules' violations are secondary in nature. However, if a number of secondary violations are found, that could be construed as a major violation because a significant "lack of intuitional control" would be involved.

In that case, the NCAA could ask Washington to prove that it was complying with NCAA rules, by showing that it is maintaining institutional control over its athletic endeavors. That happened at Rhode Island after Jim Harrick took over as its basketball coach, having left UCLA with a trail of NCAA violations behind.

In the past at Washington, Neuheisel and his coaching staff were sanctioned for improper contact with a former players and for improper recruiting visits, all secondary violations.

After he accepted the Husky coaching job in January 1999, Neuheisel sent assistant coaches out to talk with prospective recruits on quiet-day, which is an NCAA violation. That was on a Sunday, just before Wednesday's letter-of-intent day. Sometime before, after he'd accepted the Washington job, he talked on the phone with Taylor Barton, one of his former players, wished him well and encouraged him to stay at Colorado. Neuheisel was charged with tampering, since he hadn't obtained permission from Colorado authorities to talk to Barton. Reportedly, several other Colorado players were involved with phone contacts as well.

As a result of the phone contacts, Washington agreed not to accept any Colorado players as student athletes. Due to special circumstances involving his status, Taylor Barton was allowed to enroll at Washington last season at a cost of two scholarships.

In response to the quiet-day visitations, Washington sanctioned itself. The five assistant coaches, who met with eight recruits on quiet-day, were penalized four weeks of off-campus recruiting; each was given a letter of reprimand.

Neuheisel, who committed several other minor violations, had 20 of his 29 permissible off-campus evaluation days taken away from the subsequent recruiting period. He also had a letter of reprimand placed in his file, and Washington had its number of official visits by prospects cut by six to 50.

The current case could take months to resolve. Neuheisel is fully cooperating with the investigation.

Some of the information appearing in this article was taken from the following sources:

Bud Withers, “Penalties to UW unlikely following Neuheisel's alleged UC violations,” The Seattle Times, 12 April 2002.
Ted Miller, "NCAA targets Neuheisel," The Seattle P-I, 12 April 2002.