From the Fresno Bee’s Vaughn McClure.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association determined a violation committed by Fresno State’s former men’s basketball staff was a major infraction and could result in a postseason ban, athletic director Thomas Boeh confirmed Thursday.
The school this week received the NCAA’s Notice of Allegations, which determined that hundreds of impermissible phone calls made by then-coach Ray Lopes (above) and his staff to recruits constituted a major offense. Boeh said the school will self-impose a penalty ” possibly a postseason ban ” as early as today, although the school has more than a month to respond to the notice.
“There’s always a possibility,” Boeh said of a postseason ban. “But that has not yet been determined. Postseason bans, loss of scholarships and continuing probation, those are all possibilities.”
Lopes resigned in March after admitting his staff violated the telephone contact rule, which allows one phone call per week to a recruit during a given period.
“We were hopeful that this would be considered secondary,” Boeh said. “But as the investigation went on and phone records were pulled, it was clear that there were a great number of calls.”
Fresno State already is on probation until December 2006 and short two men’s basketball scholarships this season due to penalties the NCAA assessed in 2003 for violations committed under former coach Jerry Tarkanian. The NCAA’s Committee on Infractions could tack on additional penalties since Fresno State is a repeat major violator.
Meanwhile, the Rangers slaughtered New Jersey Devils last night, at the swamp house too.
Give Jagr some checks, I mean czechs, and off he goes.
And am I the only one who thinks that Tom Poti doesn’t suck? I liked Bruce Driver too though.