The four words no school ever wants to hear from the NCAA office have been aimed squarely upon Chapel Hill. In a 59-page notice of allegations from the NCAA, the University of North Carolina has been accused of operating with a lack of institutional control. The phrase appears three times in the letter from the NCAA.
One of the keys to the UNC investigation’s findings determined student-athletes received preferential access to the controversial Afro-American Studies courses. Per the NCAA, student-athletes were enrolled in the courses “at a disproportionate rate to that of the general student body and received other impermissible benefits not available to the general student body in connection to these courses.”
The allegations as listed by the NCAA are;1. It is alleged that beginning in the 2002 fall semester and continuing through the 2011 summer semester, the institution provided impermissible benefits to studentathletes that were not generally available to the student body. (Level I, serious breach of conduct)
2. It is alleged that from April 2007 to July 2010, Jan Boxill (Boxill), then philosophy instructor, director of the Parr Center for Ethics, women’s basketball athletic academic counselor in the Academic Support Program for StudentAthletes (ASPSA) and chair of the faculty, knowingly provided extra benefits in the form of impermissible academic assistance and special arrangements to women’s basketball student-athletes. (Level I, severe breach of conduct)
3. It is alleged that in 2014 and 2015, Deborah Crowder (Crowder), former student services manager in the African and Afro-American Studies department, violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when she failed to furnish information relevant to an investigation of possible violations of NCAA legislation when requested to do so by the NCAA enforcement staff and the institution. Specifically, Crowder refused to participate in an interview with both the institution and the enforcement staff despite at least three requests for her participation. () Level I, severe breach of conduct)
4. It is alleged that in 2014 and 2015, Dr. Julius Nyang’oro (Nyang’oro), former professor and chair of the African and Afro-American Studies department, violated the NCAA principles of ethical conduct when he failed to furnish information relevant to an investigation of possible violations of NCAA legislation when requested to do so by the enforcement staff and the institution. Specifically, Nyang’oro refused to participate in an interview with both the institution and the enforcement staff despite at least five requests for his participation. (Level I, severe breach of conduct)
5. It is alleged that the scope and nature of the violations set forth in Allegation Nos. 1 and 2 demonstrate that the institution violated the NCAA principles of institutional control and rules compliance when it failed to monitor the activities of Jan Boxill (Boxill), then philosophy instructor, director of the Parr Center for Ethics, women’s basketball athletics academic counselor in the Academic Support Program for Student-Athletes (ASPSA) and chair of the faculty. Further, the institution exhibited a lack of institutional control in regard to the special arrangements constituting impermissible benefits athletics academic counselors and staff within African and Afro-American Studies (AFRI/AFAM) department provided to student-athletes. (Level I, severe breach of conduct)
The university now has an opportunity to address the letter and respond with requested information and more. After the NCAA receives that response from the university, the information will be reviewed and then a decision on potential sanctions against the program will be made. The football program is not the worst alleged offender in this case. That would appear to be the women’s basketball program. Many of the football concerns appear to have been under the watch of former head coach Butch Davis.
It is also important to note this investigation was conducted under the NCAA’s older penalty structure, which could lead to a relatively lighter punishment. As with most NCAA punishments, it can be difficult to predict the final outcome. A postseason ban of two years and a reduction in scholarships may be the result when all is said and done, but that is nothing more than pure speculation at this point in time.