Wolf
100% Texan
http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news;_y...Y5nYcB?slug=ap-alabama-ncaa&prov=ap&type=lgns
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP)The NCAA placed Alabamas football program and 15 other of the schools athletic teams on three years probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks.
The NCAA said 201 athletes in 16 sports obtained impermissible benefits by using their scholarships to obtain free textbooks for other students. Alabama identified 22 athletes, including seven football players, as intentional wrongdoers who knew they were receiving improper benefits.
As a result, the NCAA ruled the football team must vacate any wins in which any of those seven players took part during 2005-2007. Alabama did not say how many victories would be affected.
Neither the football team nor any other sport lost postseason eligibility or scholarships.
The penalty itself is not one thats directed at the coach, said Paul Dee, who chairs the committee on infractions and is a former University of Miami athletic director. Its one that involves the team. Its one that involves the players and we believe its the appropriate penalty under these circumstance under a going-backward rather than a going-forward basis.
The other 15 wrongdoers were members of the mens tennis, and mens and womens track and field programs. They acquired textbooks and materials of value greater than $100 for friends and other student-athletes. The four biggest offenders in dollar value were the seven football players, who received from $2,714 to $3,947 in improper benefits.
The other sports hit with probation were softball, baseball, gymnastics, womens basketball, soccer, volleyball and both the mens and womens teams in basketball, golf, swimming, tennis and track and field.
The university was ordered to pay a $43,900 fine.