Those who love the ins-and-outs of the NCAA jurisprudence were in for a treat Thursday as Rutgers released its response to the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations.
In a case that started a year and a half ago, the NCAA has charged the Scarlet Knights with fouls including “drug use by players, hidden and possibly doctored drug-testing records, improper recruiting tactics and football officials who ignored rules and lied to investigators.” You may remember the news of Kyle Flood allegedly attempting to influence a player’s grades... a player Flood later kicked out of the program for disciplinary reasons.
Five months after those charges, Rutgers released its 102-page response, which NJ.com obtained. The NCAA is charging Rutgers with six Level II violations and one Level III (Level I is the most serious.)
In advance of a Committee on Infractions meeting this summer, Rutgers will self-impose:
- a 1-year probation period
- a $5,000 fine
- a reduction of 10 off-campus recruiting days (five in the fall of 2017-18 and five in the spring)
- a limit of 36 official visits hosted, 26 lower than the limit
- a 1-week ban on initiating phone calls, contact on social media and written correspondence to recruits
“The University will continue to identify areas in which it can improve and will implement new policies or procedures,” the university said in a statement. “Rutgers University ... recognizes its responsibility to act in good faith and with the utmost integrity. The University believes that through the strong leadership of Pat Hobbs, the hiring of new head coach Chris Ash, and new men’s basketball coach, Steve Pikiell, the University is headed in the right direction.”
Flood was fired after the 2015 season and hit with a show-cause penalty. He now works for the Atlanta Falcons.