NCAA: DIII aid violations may generate broader allegations

[Ron Boerger]

about time they stepped up ... especially any programs which are repeatedly and willfully doing this.

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/NCAA/Resources/Latest+News/2011/April/DIII+aid+violations+may+generate+broader+allegations

The NCAA enforcement staff may start including allegations of an institution's "failure to monitor" or a "lack of institutional control" in future major infractions cases that involve violations of Division III financial aid rules.

The potential to apply such allegations comes in light of several major infractions cases in the last three years that have involved institutions granting financial aid to student-athletes disproportionately or distinguishable from other students, which is contrary to bedrock Division III principles.

Additionally, many of the more than 40 secondary violations cases uncovered by the committee during this time involved "leadership" grants or other awards not specifically stated as athletically related but clearly with ties to athletics participation.

The Division III membership adopted legislation effective in 2005 requiring institutions to report financial aid packages for freshmen and transfers as a way to demonstrate compliance with Bylaw 15. Since then, the enforcement staff has not applied "failure to monitor" or "lack of institutional control" in major infractions cases – despite it being within that group's purview – in order to allow enough time for the membership to be educated about the legislation's implementation, expectations and impact.

But the enforcement staff is now wondering whether the infractions cases in and of themselves are proving to be enough of a deterrent, especially since it anticipates that the Division III Financial Aid Committee will forward additional, potentially major cases for the Division III Committee on Infractions' review.

Thus, the enforcement staff has indicated that it will begin to "carefully scrutinize future financial aid cases to determine if it is appropriate to include an allegation of failure to monitor and/or a lack of institutional control."

more at the link.

[Ron Boerger]

D3sports.com story - Fontbonne placed on probation for financial aid violations.

http://www.d3sports.com/notables/2011/04/fontbonne-placed-on-probation

[Pat Coleman]

What's interesting is that as far as I can tell, this wasn't triggered by the new financial aid auditing process for Division III. One would think there is still a lot more coming.

I did ask the NCAA whether that was the case. Haven't heard back yet.