Clemson releases secondary NCAA violations

by TigerNet Staff - Fri Jul 26 15:12:40 GMT-04:00 2013

CLEMSON, SC -- As is its policy, Clemson announced its NCAA secondary rules violations for 2012-2013 on Friday. The names of the sports, coaches and students involved have been redacted by the university. Violations can be classified as either secondary or major. Secondary violations are those that provide only a limited recruiting or competitive advantage.

Abbreviation Key

HC – Head Coach

AC – Assistant Coach

VC – Volunteer Coach

GA – Graduate Assistant

SA – Student-Athlete

PSA – Prospective Student-Athlete

HS – High School

Level I Date of Violation: 4/12/12 Bylaw(s): 12.1.2 12.1.2.1.5

NCAA Amateurism staff determined that SA received prize money above actual and necessary expenses prior to full-time collegiate enrollment.

Corrective Actions Taken: PSA declared ineligible and eligibility reinstated with the condition that the prospective student-athlete (PSA) repay the $975 of prize money received to a charity of their choice.

Level I Date of Violation: 6/12/12 Bylaw(s): 12.1.2.1.5 14.2.3.2

NCAA Amateurism staff determined that SA received prize money above actual and necessary expenses and participated in organized competition burning a season of competition.

Corrective Actions Taken: PSA declared ineligible and eligibility reinstated with the condition that the prospective student-athlete (PSA) repay the $10,803 of prize money received to a charity of their choice.

PSA must serve an academic year in residence at the certifying NCAA institution upon enrollment.

Level II Date of Violation: 9/21/12 Bylaw(s): 18.4.2

Compliance Services failed to obtain all signatures required for the annual certification of compliance by the September 15, 2012 deadline.

Corrective Actions Taken: Letter of admonishment. Certification of compliance form will be completed prior to the start of the next academic year.

Level II Date of Violation: 9/27/12 Bylaw(s): 17.1.6.4

Coaching staff failed to give the team the required day off during the week playing week due to a late change in competition schedule. Violation was discovered when head coach self-reported the violation the following week and notified compliance of his planned remedial action.

Corrective Actions Taken: Coaching staff gave the team two days off the following week.

Level I Date of Violation: 1/21/12 Bylaw(s): 14.2

Student-athlete represented institution in competition in more than four seasons in one sport. Violation discovered during an investigation after the institution received an anonymous letter reporting multiple violations in the program.

Corrective Actions Taken: Institution fined $2500 ($500 per contest) and forfeit points earned in ACC Championship.

Provided rules education on reviewing squad list to remaining staff.

HC is no longer employed.

Level II Date of Violation: 10/6/12 Bylaw(s): 13.6.7.5.a

Student-athlete and prospective student-athlete purchased $17.00 worth of souvenirs using student host money during an official visit. Head coach self-reported violation to compliance after student-athlete complained they ran out of money while hosting the PSA.

Corrective Actions Taken: Rules education provided to the student-athlete. PSA repaid the impermissible amount to a local charity.

Level II Date of Violation: 10/29/12 Bylaw(s): 16.02.3

Tutor provided a free meal to student-athlete. Institutional rules prohibit tutors from providing occasional meals to student-athletes. Director of academic services self-reported violation to compliance.

Corrective Actions Taken: Terminated tutor’s employment. SA repaid the impermissible amount to a local charity.

Level II Date of Violation: 11/10/12 Bylaw(s): 13.10.2

A student announced the presence of a prospect that was in attendance for a football game and tried to start a chant saying, 'We want the PSA.' Compliance received an email from a student that was disturbed with the comments.

Corrective Actions Taken: Rules education provided to student.

Level I Date of Violation: 6/21-24/12 Bylaw(s): 16.8.1.3

Student-athlete was a member of a non-USA Federation training for the 2012 Olympics and received local transportation expenses (to/from airport and to/from practice) from the institution in order to train with her Clemson coach where her Clemson teammates were participating in the US Olympic trials. Violation discovered during an investigation after the institution received an anonymous letter reporting multiple violations in the program.

Corrective Actions Taken: Declared SA ineligible and withheld from two competitions.

SA repaid $175.60 the value of the impermissible transportation to a local charity.

HC is no longer employed.

Level I Bylaw(s): 16.11.2.1

Student-athlete received an inadvertent extra benefit by accepting a used pair of running shoes from volunteer assistant coach. SA thought it was permissible to accept shoes based on a previously established relationship. Violation discovered during an investigation after the institution received an anonymous letter reporting multiple violations in the program.

Corrective Actions Taken: SA declared ineligible until repayment of impermissible benefit.

Rules education provided to student-athlete and with all coaches.

VC is no longer employed.

Level I Date of Violation: 10/6/12 Bylaw(s): 13.2.1, 13.7.2.1

PSA and her family received free bottled water from HC during an unofficial visit to Clemson that took place in conjunction with a football game tailgate. Violation discovered during an investigation after the institution received an anonymous letter reporting multiple violations in the program.

Corrective Actions Taken: PSA has been declared ineligible until repayment of impermissible benefit. Institution is no longer recruiting PSA. HC is no longer employed.

Rules education provided to all coaches on how payment should be collected and calculated during unofficial visits involving meals.

Level I Date of Violation: 11/28/12 Bylaw(s): 15.5.3.1.2

Team exceeded the required scholarship maximum award allowed by the NCAA by 0.70 as a result of a miscalculation with the online data program that did not figure in scholarships awarded in another sport. Violation was discovered by compliance services prior to the start of the season.

Corrective Actions Taken: Institution is seeking relief from the standard 2-for 1 reduction of athletic aid overaward.

Level I Date of Violation: 1/25/13 Bylaw(s): 11.1.2.1

HC failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance their program. Violation discovered during an investigation after the institution received an anonymous letter reporting multiple violations in the program.

Corrective Actions Taken: HC is no longer employed. Rules education provided to all coaches.

Level I Date of Violation: 4/12/13 – 4/14/13 Bylaw(s): 13.6.8

Coaching staff provided PSA’s (a foreign student living with a host family) host father with expenses for food and hotel (totaling $381.63) while accompanying the PSA on his official visit. Compliance Coordinator misinterpreted the legislation and believed a host parent could be provided the expenses the same as a legal guardian accompanying a PSA on an official visit. Violation discovered when PSA’s host father received a conflicting interpretation of the legislation from a separate division 1 school who stated that they could not cover his expenses during the official visit to their institution. AC brought this information to the compliance coordinator who then discovered the error in his interpretation.

Corrective Actions Taken: PSA will go through the reinstatement process with the NCAA. Compliance Coordinator contacted the NCAA regarding this situation as there was precedent for legislative relief of this bylaw; however, since the official visit occurred prior to a request for legislative relief the PSA must go through reinstatement and we will cite the prior legislative relief waivers as mitigating factors for the reinstatement. If relief is not granted during the reinstatement process then PSA will be ruled ineligible until repayment of the $381.63 of the impermissible entertainment expenses is made.

Level I Date of Violation: 5/3/13 Bylaw(s): 13.4.1.2 13.4.1.2.1 13.4.1.2.2

AC inadvertently responded to a group text message that included a PSA following the PSA signing a NLI to attend the institution. AC self-reported the violation to compliance immediately after discovering that the PSA received the AC’s text message.

Corrective Actions Taken: AC received a review of the current legislation. No additional penalties were assessed due to the PSA having already signed a NLI to attend the institution.