The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions CAA has leveled sanctions against Boise State for improperly housing prospective student-athletes during the summers of 2005 through 2009. The football program was cited for violating NCAA bylaws involving recruiting violations, student housing and transportation. Boise State’s football program will see a reduction in football scholarships from the 2011 to the 2013 athletic seasons from 85 to 82 scholarships as well as losing three spring and preseason practice session from 2012-14. The sanctions will last the 2014 academic year.
According to sources, the tennis and track programs was also involved in the NCAA infractions and was also cited for multiple violations in five sports involving more than 75 prospects and student-athletes from January 2005 to October 2010. The rule-breaking involved multiple recruiting violations, lodging, transportation, practice sessions, and some financial aid coming from the women’s tennis and track and field. Accordingly, Boise State University will pay a $5,000 fine, the reduction of scholarships, vacation of records, a one-year postseason ban for women’s tennis, recruiting restrictions. The University also received three years of probation to go along with the NCAA penalties.
Boise State President Bob Kustra has already taken actions against the officails and coaches responsible.
"The vast majority of the violations found by the committee were agreed upon by the university," the NCAA said in its release Tuesday. To add to that, during the months the NCAA was considering its ruling, Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier stepped down at Kustra's request, ending a career that spanned 29 years at the school. The Boise State women’s tennis coach Mark Tichenor, and assistant coach Tiffany Coll had both been fired when the charges first came to the attention of the administration.Boise State's self imposed penalties included a reduction in practice opportunities for football, men's tennis and women's tennis, and a reduction of women's tennis scholarships from eight to five during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, and reduction of the men's and women's track and field scholarships. Other actions Kustra approved of included a reduction of official recruiting visits for men's tennis, men's track and field and cross country, and women's track and field and cross country programs.
Perhaps the most serious the NCAA found Boise State guilty of was the charge of a Lack of Institutional Control.
"We don’t know whether we’re going to appeal on some grounds," President Bob Kustra told the Idaho Statesman, "but at this stage, we want to take a little bit of time. We have 15 days to look at that. But we certainly do understand the process and we’re focusing on the future and we’ve made some key decisions here to make sure this doesn’t happen again and we don’t find ourselves in this position."
The news wasn't all bad: The NCAA did find that assistant tennis coach Tiffany Coll was not guilty of wrong-doing and was cleared of allegations that include giving false statements to investigators.
If you have the time go ahead and read the 73-page report from the NCAA.