ENMU athletics hit with 4-year probation

STAFF WRITER

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Eastern New Mexico University’s athletics department has been placed on four years’ probation and will vacate victories and championships in which ineligible players participated from 2008 to 2012.

The National Collegiate Athletics Association announced the penalties on Tuesday.

In addition, the university will pay a $3,500 fine to the NCAA.

The NCAA announced the punishment more than three years after the player eligibility violations were discovered in 2012.

“Eastern New Mexico University did not monitor its athletics programs when it incorrectly certified 132 college athletes in 12 sports during a five year period, according to a decision from the Division II Committee on Infractions,” the NCAA reported on its website.”

The NCAA’s 16-page report highlights several eligibility violations that took place with ENMU athletic students from 2008 to 2012, including lack of amateurism certifications, student athletes not earning enough credits to progress their degrees and allowing students who had completed their eligibility to return for a fifth season.

“The university is getting what it deserves,” ENMU President Steven Gamble said. “We deserve some punitive measures for violating the NCAA rules on eligibility.”

Athletic Director Jeff Geiser said Kristen Soukop, the compliance coordinator in 2012, discovered the violations when she was first hired.

Gamble said ENMU’s punishment was limited, because the university reported everything rather than waiting for the NCAA to discover the infractions.

“Everything the NCAA knew about our penalties, we told them,” Gamble said. “We have no excuses for running a bad compliance program. We have taken strong measures to make sure we follow all NCAA rules and regulations (in the future).”

Director of Athletic Communications Adam Pitterman and Geiser said the process to investigate the violations took so long because the NCAA is a big organization and tends to be thorough.

“It’s a very comprehensive and laborious process,” Geiser said. “These things aren’t done overnight. We vacated wins in football, specifically (2008 to 2012). We did not play any ineligible players in 2013.”

The following is the list of the university’s NCAA violations:

• During 2008-2009 through 2012-13 academic years, 59 student athletes lacked amateurism certification

• During 2008-2009 through 2012-13 academic years, 60 student athletes had not been certified by the NCAA Eligibility Center

• During 2009-2010 through 2012-13 academic years, 51 student athletes had not designated a degree program by their third year of enrollment and/or had not earned sufficient progress-toward-degree requirements

• During 2009-2010 through 2011-12 academic years, 11 student athletes did not satisfy NCAA two-year college requirements

• During 2009-2010 through 2011-12 academic years, 12 transfer student athletes from four-year institutions were permitted to practice and/or compete and receive travel expenses and athletic related aid during their first year in residence without having been certified eligible

• During the 2011-12 academic year, two student athletes who had exhausted their eligibility were allowed to compete in fifth seasons of competition.

Gamble will hold a press conference at 10:30 a.m. today at the main building in Greyhound Arena to answer questions regarding the infractions or the penalties.

“We want to lay everything out all at once,” Gamble said. “We figure that’s the best way.”