FAMU Infractions to Cost School 11 Championships

By Chad Roberts
Black College Wire

Photo credit: www.famu.edu Florida A&M's biggest loss comes in football penalties.

Barely a year ago, Florida A&M�s athletic department seemed to be on top of the world, or at least on top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

The volleyball team was cruising past the conference competition, winning the conference title in 1999 and again from 2001 through 2003. The Rattler football squad was gearing up to become the first historically black school to compete on the Division 1-A level. Florida A&M had posted a 26-6 record against MEAC football competition in the past five years, winning the championship in 2000 and 2001.

Now, thanks to 196 self-reported NCAA infractions, the MEAC plans to revoke many of those titles. A total of 11 championships will be stripped. The 2000 and 2001 football titles, the 1999 volleyball championship, the 2000 men�s tennis title and seven indoor and outdoor track championships must be forfeited, according to a letter from MEAC Commissioner Dennis Thomas sent to Joseph Ramsey II, FAMU's special assistant to the president for athletics.

�It was the same rule that was broken, it is just the numbers that are blowing everybody�s mind,� said Alvin Hollins, FAMU sports information director.

In addition, the conference wants FAMU to refund the $100,000 the school won with its 2000 and 2001 conference All-Sports trophies, given to the institution with the winningest teams in conference competition.

The NCAA is reviewing the infraction report Florida A&M submitted. The association may choose to send the school a notice of allegation, which would preclude a formal hearing that could lead to further penalties. Another possibility is having the university�s athletic administration give a summary disposition, which would avoid a hearing and put in effect the penalties already set forth by the MEAC and by FAMU itself.

The university has recommended cutting six scholarships from the football program and one each in baseball, softball, women�s basketball and track. Also, four official visits would be cut from football recruiting, and the university would be on three years' probation.

Hollins said the university was waiting for the NCAA ruling and any ensuing penalties, while continuing to prepare for the upcoming year in MEAC competition.

�The MEAC has chosen to do a retroactive thing, where we have to forfeit all those victories from that time period,� Hollins said. �We�re really just waiting on the NCAA.�

Florida A&M�s biggest loss comes in football penalties. If the conference sticks to the penalties laid out in Thomas� letter, the university will lose a total of 39 wins, including 26 conference victories.

The majority of the reported violations concerned student athletes being cleared to participate in sports when they should have been declared academically ineligible. Since Florida A&M reported the infractions itself, the NCAA reviews the school�s report before taking any further action. Kay Hawes, associate director of media relations for the NCAA, said published reports of an infractions committee meeting concerning Florida A&M were false. She said the NCAA thoroughly reviews a case before making a ruling.

�It�s not based on the number of violations,� Hawes said. �They look at all the circumstances surrounding an infraction.�

Hollins said FAMU would probably appeal the MEAC judgment, but that the university was not pushing the NCAA for a hearing, which would result in athletic administrators being sworn in and called to testify before an NCAA rules committee.

�Hopefully, our written report was thorough and complete enough to avoid all of that,� Hollins said.

It is unlikely that an appeal by FAMU would reverse or lighten the penalties assessed by the MEAC.

According to MEAC bylaws, if a school uses just one academically ineligible player, all victories in which the player participated must be forfeited.

Tyler Ball, the sports information director at conference rival North Carolina A&T, said the large number of violations meant a �paperwork� problem at FAMU.

�People don�t appreciate how much paperwork is involved, and they probably had some incomplete paperwork,� Ball said. �But anytime you do that 196 times, you�ve got some issues."

Chad Roberts is a student at North Carolina A&T State University.

Posted July 23, 2004

Rattlers back in MEAC in 2005; NCAA violations cost FAMU 11 conference crowns, $175,000 (Tallahassee Democrat)