From: cockrel@shab06.larc.nasa.gov (Charlie Cockrell)
Subject: Re: D.Schultz/NCAA Invest/UVA
Originator: cockrel@shab06.larc.nasa.gov
Keywords: NCAA, Schultz, Virginia, improper loans
Organization: NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA  USA
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 1992 15:13:45 GMT


[ Note: The orifinal article was cross-posted to r.s.bb.c and r.s.f.c, so
I am cross-posting this reply]

In article <1992Apr17.070837.115@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> jwag9429@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (John Wilbur Althauser) writes:

	[Old News about VSAF loans to athletes deleted]

This is also nothing new. It's been known since last year's ACC summer meeting
in Myrtle Beach. The University is conducting an investigation and
will report to the NCAA when it's over. Two VSAF officlas have already
been asked to resign.

>
>Yesterday's story, from the Richmond Time-Dispatch, reports that Va. is now
>investigating financial perks to coaches, including a 6 figure loan to
>Dick Schultz.
>
>Walter Horsley, a Richmond attorney and member of the board of visitor's
>athletic committee, told the paper the investigation has become 'a complete
>shakedown of the athletic department'.
>
>Horsley said the investigation looked to see if the department's top
>administrators failed to oversee the perks from the private sports booster
>group.
>
>Also at issue is whether those administators failed to keep the school presidnet
>informed of all the financial deals.

This I hadn't heard before. But, I think we probably don't have all the
facts here. I would expect them to look into things in the athletic
department as part of this type of investigation. 

>I am very curious to see how this case is resolved by the NCAA, which has
>not been involved in the investigation at all, to this point.

That's because Virginia found out about the alleged violations and 
has been conducting their own investigation. They will make a report
to the NCAA when it's complete.

>The worst offense a school can commit, according to NCAA bylaws,
>is a Lack of Institutional Control.  This can bring on the death
>penalty clause, for repeat offenders (not Virginia).  Virginia ignored
>these particular NCAA rules for years, and had a system in place to do it.
>Can that be anything but a lack of control?

Is this your opinion now or part of the story? The investigation is
still ongoing and you don't *know* whether any rules were violated 
or not. Up to now, I thought the media and everyone associated with
the University had done a good job of not judging things until the
investigation was complete. Why don't you do the same. Saying we
had a system in place to get around rules is a very strong accusation
to make and I personally don't believe it to be true. 

>I think it's a new kind of 'old boy network' where everyone talks the
>buzzwords of 'clean program' and 'compliance', but many don't know the
>rules themselves, and can't be bothered to learn them.  The primary goal
>is to generate revenue and convince the public the system has the
>student-athletes best interests at heart.

You are drawing a lot of conclusions here without knowing the full
story. Again, why don't you wait until the results of the investigation are
complete. Dick Schutlz has a very good reputation for his job as
AD at Virginia. He was also chairman of the NCAA Men's BB Selection
Committee for several years, so his appointment as Exec. Director
was a natural one. I think the problem here is the structure of the
NCAA - there are so many inane rules that a school has to have tons
of advisors just to figure out what is legal and what's not. 

>About a year ago, a poll was conducted which suggested that about 70%
>of the public felt that college athletics was headed in the wrong direction.
>Today the percentage is something like 45-50%.  The NCAA has announced that
>their reforms are working and that government intervention is not needed.
>This sounds a lot like the way policy is made in Washington these days.
>Conduct a poll to decide what people want, then take a position.

That's because most of the people polled only know what they see on TV.
They don't see the other sports that the NCAA oversees, which are
clean, for the most part. All of the athletes that go to school, play,
earn degrees and graduate don't make headlines, but the football coach
who commits recruiting violations does. I firmly believe that 95 percent
of college athletics is clean. I also believe that most of serious
problems occur in two sports. The problem (IMHO) is that the NCAA tries
to make "across the board" reform without looking at individual sports
and focusing on the specific problems and needs of athletes in each
sport. Last year, for example, legislation to limit practice times and
the season would have forced hundreds of athletes in sports that
require year-round training to stay competitive at the National and
international level to drop out of school. I fail to see how that reforms
anything. 

>I think that Wes Morgan's earlier suggestion of automatic penalties for
>violations is very good.  If the school corrects problems itself, impose
>an automatic penalty.  If the NCAA must get involved, double that penalty.

The University of Maryland cleaned house after an internal investigation.
They turned themsleves in, cooperated fully with the NCAA and got nailed.
There is no incentive for a school to come clean and report violations.

Most reports I have seen believe the Virginia situation to be a minor
one and I would prefer to wait until all the facts are out before
making strong accusations of wrongdoing against Dick Shultz or
anyone else at Virginia. 



-- 
Charlie Cockrell                          VV     VV 1991 Men's Soccer Champs.
NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va. VV   VV  1992 Men's NIT Champions  
U.Va. School of Engineering, Class of 1990  VV VV   1991 Women's ACC BB Champs.
(These are my opinions only)                 VVV