Download - Message Regarding NCAA Report
Chancellor Kent Syverud Fri , Mar 6 12 : 58 PM
to Roger Miller
Message Regarding NCAA Report
March 6, 2015
Dear Members of the University Community:
I am writing to update you on the outcome of Syracuse University’s case before the NCAA.
The University initially selfreported potential violations to the NCAA in May 2007 and submitted its written
selfreport in October 2010–after conducting an internal investigation for three years and five months. The
NCAA conducted its own review and 11 months later in 2011 issued a Notice of Allegations, essentially
confirming the selfreport. While the University was in the process of responding to the Notice of
Allegations, a subsequent violation occurred prompting a joint investigation beginning in February 2012.
That investigation lasted more than 24 months and concluded with an amended Notice of Allegations in
May 2014.
Today the University received the NCAA Committee on Infractions report.
We believe the NCAA’s investigation of Syracuse University has taken longer than any other investigation in
NCAA history. The entire process has taken close to eight years and involved a review of conduct dating
back to 2001. By comparison, the investigation into the fixing of the 1919 World Series took two months
and the 2007 investigation of steroid use in baseball took 21 months.
The University and the NCAA devoted massive resources to this process. Hundreds of thousands of
documents were reviewed, hundreds of interviews were conducted, and thousands of hours of human
capital were expended.
Syracuse University cooperated throughout the investigation, and its length is a product of decisions we
made separately and together. Nevertheless, when I became Chancellor in 2014, I concluded that the
process had gone on long enough, and it needed to reach a prompt conclusion. We have worked hard with
the NCAA during the last year to complete this matter, and we have done so.
Syracuse University did not and does not agree with all the conclusions reached by the NCAA, including
some of the findings and penalties included in today’s report. However, we take the report and the issues it
identifies very seriously, particularly those that involve academic integrity and the overall wellbeing of
studentathletes. Syracuse University regrets, and does not dispute, that the following significant violations
cited by the NCAA occurred:
Local YMCA
The University discovered that in 20042005, two men’s basketball and three football studentathletes
received a combined total of $8,335, provided by a parttime local YMCA employee who qualified under
NCAA rules as a University athletics “booster.” These monies were purportedly for work done at the YMCA,
such as refereeing youth basketball games. Regardless, these monies were prohibited “extra benefits”
under NCAA rules, and although these payments were isolated to one individual booster, they never should
have occurred. In addition, three of these studentathletes received academic credit in the same course for
internships at the YMCA they failed to complete. The University rescinded the credit.
Drug Education and Deterrence Program
The University’s voluntarilyadopted Drug Education and Deterrence Program has been in place for many
years, distinguishing our University from those that elect to have no drug testing or rehabilitation program
for their studentathletes. Although the NCAA does not require colleges and universities to have a testing
program, if one is adopted, a school must follow its terms. The University reported to the NCAA that from
2001 to early 2009 it at times failed to follow the written terms of the program with respect to student
athletes who tested positive for use of marijuana. Although these failures largely were the result of an
unnecessarily complicated testing policy and did not involve performanceenhancing drugs, they constitute
an NCAA violation, which the University accepts.
Academic Integrity Matters
The University reported that in January 2012, a men’s basketball studentathlete committed academic
misconduct. The misconduct occurred when the studentathlete submitted a paper in a course he already
passed in an effort to improve his course grade and restore NCAA eligibility. The ability to improve a
previous grade is open to all Syracuse University students. The paper was prepared with assistance from
two (now former) athletics employees, both of whom were aware their actions were improper and wrong.
Their actions, done in secret, went against clear instructions that the studentathlete needed to complete
the assignment on his own, and constituted a clear violation of both University academic integrity policy
and NCAA rules. The University has acknowledged the nowformer staff members’ wrongful conduct and
accepts responsibility for their actions. While reviewing this matter, the University found information
suggesting these same two individuals, and one tutor, may have assisted three other studentathletes with
some academic assignments. Detailed information was submitted through the University’s facultyled
academic integrity process. In each case, faculty failed to find evidence supporting a violation. NCAA bylaws
dictate that they must accept an institution’s academic integrity determinations. Notwithstanding, the
NCAA determined the same conduct constituted an “extra benefit” to these studentathletes. The
University disagrees with the NCAA’s position.
These mistakes must never happen again. That is why beginning in 2009, the University strengthened its
policies and reformed a range of studentathlete support services. These proactive steps include:
• Fundamentally restructuring the entire studentathlete academic support office, which now reports
solely to Academic Affairs, in lieu of jointly to the Athletics Department;
• Creating a new Assistant Provost for StudentAthlete Development and more than doubling the
number of fulltime academic support staff for our studentathletes;
• Redesigning the University’s voluntary Drug Education and Deterrence Program for studentathletes,
consistent with best practices and peer institutions;
• Establishing an Athletics Committee of the University’s Board of Trustees, that oversees the athletics
department and receives reports of athletics issues, including compliance matters;
• Creating an Athletics Compliance Oversight Committee that includes the University’s Faculty Athletics
Representative and a representative from Academic Affairs. This committee reviews the status of
athletic compliance initiatives and monitors compliance;
• Assigning oversight of the Office of Athletics Compliance to the University General Counsel;
• Implementing new and wideranging enhanced compliance training programs for all studentathletes
and coaches focused on NCAA, ACC and University rules and policies;
• Taking action to separate employment with two former athletics staff members found to have been
involved in academic misconduct; and
• Disassociating nonSU affiliated persons responsible for, or involved in, violations.
In addition to these important changes, the University already selfimposed a series of significant penalties
that include:
• A oneyear ban from 201415 postseason competition for men’s basketball;
• A voluntary, twoyear term of probation for the Department of Athletics;
• Elimination of one scholarship for men’s basketball for the 20152016 season;
• Elimination of a men’s basketball offcampus recruiter for six months during 20152016;
• Vacation of 24 men’s basketball wins (15 in 200405 and 9 in 201112); and
• Vacation of 11 football wins: (6 in 200405; 1 in 200506; 4 in 200607).
To learn more about the NCAA Investigation, visit http://www.ncaaupdatesyr.com.
Although the University recognizes the seriousness of the violations it has acknowledged, it respectfully
disagrees with certain findings of the Committee. Specifically, the University strongly disagrees that it failed
to maintain institutional control over its athletics programs, or that Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jim
Boeheim has taken actions that justify a finding that he was responsible for the rules violations.
The University is considering whether it will appeal certain portions of the decision. Coach Boeheim may
choose to appeal the portions of the decision that impact him personally. Should he decide to do so, we
would support him in this step.
Some may not agree with Syracuse University’s positions on these important issues. However, we hope
everyone will agree that eight years is too long for an investigation and that a more expeditious and less
costly process would be beneficial to studentathletes, public confidence in the NCAA enforcement process,
and major intercollegiate athletics in general.
As we move forward, we can celebrate the many positive changes we have made, the academic success of
our studentathletes, and the scholarly achievements of each one of our 21,000 students. As we do, I am
confident every part of our University will continue to flourish in the years ahead.
Sincerely,
Chancellor Kent Syverud
Removal Instructions
Please click here to remove yourself from future mailings. Thank you.