Tag: recruiting violations

Sep 23, 2022; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force cadets finish pushups following a score in the second quarter against the Nevada Wolf Pack at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Air Force football gets probation for recruiting violations

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA put the Air Force football program on probation for two years Thursday for recruiting violations during COVID-19 dead periods.

In addition to an unspecified fine, the Falcons also face reductions in official and unofficial visits as well as a cut in the size of the roster by 10 players for four years, per ESPN.

The Action Network first reported in May that the academy was under investigation for hosting high school prospects on campus during dead periods in 2020 and providing the recruits with improper benefits.

Four of the individuals involved in the investigation, reportedly including former defensive line coach Bill Sheridan, have reached an agreement with the NCAA enforcement staff about penalties. A fifth individual is challenging the allegations and faces a hearing with the Division I Committee on Infractions.

Air Force (3-1, 1-1 Mountain West) hosts Navy (1-2, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

Jan 1, 2021; Arlington, TX, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Brian Kelly looks on in the fourth quarter against the Alabama Crimson Tide during the Rose Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame fined $5K, placed on one-year probation

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA put Notre Dame on probation and fined the Fighting Irish $5,000 for multiple minor recruiting violations, the Committee on Infractions announced Thursday.

The NCAA also handed out a few minor recruiting restrictions as well.

“Any violation of NCAA rules is unacceptable and Notre Dame takes full responsibility for its actions in this regard,” Notre Dame director of athletics Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “While we made clear to the NCAA that our view that the agreed-upon penalties exceeded the nature of the infractions, we accept the final outcome of the case.”

The penalties stem from a former assistant coach’s impermissible off-campus contact with a high school player in 2019 and his impermissible text messages to a different 2021 recruit, and coach Brian Kelly’s impermissible contact with a recruit in October 2019. In that case, Kelly posed with the player for a photo in Pickerington, Ohio.

Notre Dame and the committee agreed to the penalties through the NCAA’s negotiated resolution process.

The former assistant, who also sent the impermissible texts, was fired by ND in January 2020. He was given a show-cause through July 2021.

The assistant, per the ruling, “met privately with the prospect at his high school before July 1 after the completion of his junior year of high school. During that meeting, the former assistant coach expressed the school’s interest in recruiting the prospect. The former assistant football coach also had exchanged impermissible text messages with another prospect on 10 occasions.”

According to the report, the assistant mistakenly thought the recipient of his text messages was a 2020 recruit instead of an actual 2021 prospect.

The recruiting restrictions meted out include reduced football official visits for the 2020-21 academic year by one, reduced football unofficial visits by 14 days for the 2020-21 academic year, and a seven-day off-campus recruiting ban for the entire football staff during the 2020-21 academic year.

–Field Level Media

Oct 3, 2020; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators head coach Dan Mullen reacts during a game against South Carolina at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, in Gainesville, Fla. Oct. 3, 2020. Mandatory Credit: Brad McClenny-USA TODAY NETWORK

NCAA sanctions Florida for recruiting violations

Posted on | by Field Level Media

The NCAA sanctioned the Florida Gators for recruiting violations on Tuesday, charging head coach Dan Mullen with failing to “promote an atmosphere of compliance.”

The Division I Committee on Infractions said there were two Level II violations of recruiting contact rules.

The penalties issued included one year of probation and a $5,000 fine for the program and a one-year show-cause order for Mullen.

In one case, Mullen and an unnamed assistant coach had impermissible in-person contact when they met with a prospect’s head coach while the prospect was in the room. Mullen also sent the prospect text messages about his interest in recruiting the prospect, violating NCAA rules that prohibit off-campus contact until after a prospect’s junior year of high school.

In the second incident, members of the coaching staff had impermissible contact with approximately 127 prospects when seven non-scholastic football teams visited the Gainesville campus and toured the football facilities on their way to a tournament in Tampa.

“The head coach agreed that he did not promote an atmosphere of compliance in light of his personal involvement in one of the violations,” the NCAA report read.

Penalties also included a seven-day off-campus recruiting ban for the entire coaching staff during the spring 2021 recruiting period.

Florida (8-3) is set to face Oklahoma (8-2) in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 30 in Arlington, Texas.

Mullen, 48, has a 29-8 record through three seasons with the Gators. He was 69-46 in nine seasons at Mississippi State before signing a reported six-year, $36.6 million contract with Florida in November 2017.

–Field Level Media