Members of an institution's staff, student-athletes, and other individuals and groups representing the institution's athletics interests shall comply with all applicable NCAA rules. The University of Minnesota men's basketball program is currently facing serious allegations of committing numerous violations of NCAA regulations, including academic fraud, payment of players, and improper travel. A former office manager in the university's academic counseling unit, Jan Gangelhoff, admitted she had written about 400 term papers and had done take-home tests for as many as 20 men's basketball players from 1993 to 1998. This was confirmed by four players. These allegations prompted the university to suspend four current players from the Gophers' first round NCAA tournament game against Gonzaga, a game in which they would ultimately end up losing.
Auditors say no evidence exists to prove it was actually a coaches' seminar.
The NCAA investigation into the Minnesota athletic department is expected to be completed by September of 1999. Alonzo Newby, the men's basketball team's academic counselor, was fired in June for not cooperating with investigators and for participating in violation of NCAA rules. Amateurism Student-athletes shall be amateurs in an intercollegiate sport, and their participation should be motivated primarily by education and by the physical, mental, and social benefits to be derived. Student participation in intercollegiate athletics is an avocation, and student-athletes should be protected from exploitation by professional and commercial enterprises.