INDIANAPOLIS---The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has penalized the College of the Holy Cross for impermissible recruiting telephone calls to prospective student-athletes in its men’s soccer program. In addition, the committee found the university failed to monitor the former head men’s soccer coach and that the coach did not promote an atmosphere of compliance.

The case involved more than 300 impermissible phone calls to prospective student-athletes. Penalties in this case include two years probation, multiple recruiting restrictions, scholarship reductions and a two-year show-cause penalty for the former head coach.

The show-cause penalty outlines how the former coach’s recruiting and other coaching duties must be limited at any future employing institutions during the two-year period. The public report further details these limitations.

This case was resolved through the summary disposition process, a cooperative effort where the involved parties submit the case to the Committee on Infractions in written form. When the NCAA enforcement staff, the university and involved individuals agree to the facts of the case and penalties proposed by the university, they may use this process instead of a formal hearing. This was the fourth summary disposition case involving impermissible text messages, email or telephone calls reviewed by the committee within the last year.

Of the 308 impermissible recruiting calls, 186 calls were made to  prospective student-athletes and parents prior to when NCAA rules allow, which is July 1 after the prospects' junior year of high school.  There were 122 telephone calls to prospective student-athletes in violation of legislation limiting telephone calls to one time per week. While this case also includes secondary violations, which are detailed in the public report, these impermissible calls were considered major violations. Major violations are defined as those that are purposeful, represent a significant competitive advantage and indicate a pattern of behavior. The committee noted that 13 prospective student-athletes who received impermissible calls ultimately attended Holy Cross and participated on the men’s soccer team.

In addition to recruiting violations, as previously indicated, there were associated findings that the former head coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance and the institution failed to have adequate systems in place to monitor recruiting telephone calls made by the former head men’s soccer coach.

The penalties in this case are as follows:

• Public reprimand and censure.
• Two years of probation from October 16, 2009, to October 15, 2011, which is timed with when the committee informed the college it had accepted its summary disposition report.
• Two-year show-cause penalty for the former head coach from October 16, 2009, to October 15, 2011.
• Prohibited men’s soccer coaches from conducting any recruiting activities from June 20 through December 1, 2008 (Institution imposed).
• Prohibited men’s soccer coaches from making in-person off-campus contact with prospective student-athletes and their parents or legal guardians from July 1 through December 31, 2008 (Institution imposed).
• Prohibited men’s soccer coaches from participating in off-campus recruiting evaluations from June 12 through September 1, 2008 (Institution imposed).
• Prohibited men’s soccer coaches from making telephone calls to prospective student-athletes who have completed their junior year in high school from July 1 through November 15, 2008. From November 15, 2008, to March 1, 2009, men’s soccer coaches were allowed to call a prospective student-athlete no more than twice per month. The public report further details the exceptions to this penalty (Institution imposed).
• Prohibited men’s soccer coaches from initiating electronic and written correspondence with prospective student-athletes from June 24 until November 1, 2008 (Institution imposed).
• Reduce the number of equivalency athletics scholarships for men’s soccer for the 2009-10 academic year to less than the value of one athletics scholarship equivalency (.804 equivalency). This action was tantamount to a self-imposed reduction of 2.196 of the scheduled athletics scholarships that were to be available for the 2009-10 academic year. (Institution imposed).

The members of the Committee on Infractions who reviewed this case include Paul Dee, lecturer of law and education at the University of Miami and formerly the institution's athletics director and general counsel. He is the chair of the Committee on Infractions. Other members are Melissa Conboy, deputy director of athletics at University of Notre Dame; Britton Banowsky, commissioner of Conference USA; Dennis Thomas, the commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and formerly director of athletics at Hampton University; and James O’Fallon, faculty athletics representative for University of Oregon.