NCAA Rules on Indiana University of Pennsylvania Swimming Violations

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana, October 31. IN a report released yesterday, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced penalties to be levied on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) swim team. Along with violations in men's basketball, the NCAA found violations within the swimming program.

In a range of self-imposed penalties, the University has been placed on probation for two years, scholarships have been reduced, swimming records will be vacated and the former head swimming coach Dave Caldwell has been placed on a two-year show cause order.

The show cause order states that if Caldwell tries to get an athletics-related job in the NCAA in the next two years, he and the hiring school "must appear before the Committee on Infractions" to determine potential future penalties or limitations.

The infractions found within the swimming program and released by the NCAA are the following:

* The former head swimming coach impermissibly hired one of his student-athletes, forged signatures so the student-athlete could be paid, and arranged for her to be paid for work she did not perform during the 2005-06 academic year. It was determined that this student-athlete was paid an hourly wage of $13.90, which was far above the usual $5.15 rate paid to students employed on campus.

* The former head swimming coach also supplied three student-athletes with impermissible extra benefits totaling $1,365 during the 2004-05 academic year. These funds were provided to pay for personal expenses, as well as the student-athletes' lodging, transportation and pool rental during an annual trip to Florida. The university typically requires student-athletes to cover these costs, except for meals.

* During the fall of 2005, the former head swimming coach failed to withhold two student-athletes from athletics competition even though the former head coach was previously informed by the university's compliance office that the young men were ineligible to compete. He allowed the student-athletes to represent the university in a swimming meet on October 29, 2005.

* The committee found that the former head swimming coach knowingly operated the men's and women's swimming programs contrary to NCAA rules when he committed these violations.

The University self-imposed the following penalties:

* Public reprimand and censure.

* Two years of probation from October 30, 2007, through October 29, 2009.

The institution implemented the following swimming-related penalties:

* Placed the former head swimming coach on administrative leave January 10, 2006. He subsequently resigned his position January 31, 2006.

* Reduced the amount of institutionally administered athletics financial aid awarded to student-athletes in the sport of men's and women's swimming by 12 percent from $55,000 (the average annual amount awarded over the past four years) to no more than $48,500 for the 2006-07 season.

* Placed a moratorium on the recruitment of international swimmers throughout the 2006-07 academic year, for those prospects who would enroll in the fall of 2007.

* Vacated the dual meet on October 29, 2005, against Ashland University and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, in which the two male swimming student-athletes who competed were ineligible. The institution's compliance office contacted both schools that were involved in the invitational meet and informed their respective compliance officers that the institution would vacate this victory due to the use of ineligible athletes and adjust the individual place finishes.

* Declared four swimming student-athletes ineligible for competition, and reinstatement requests were submitted on their behalf to the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff.

* Canceled the Christmas swimming training trip to Florida in 2005. Monies representing the student-athletes' portion of trip costs were returned in full to the student-athletes.

* Did not pay the cost for swimming student-athlete meals during the student-athletes' Christmas training trip between the 2006-07 fall and spring semester. In the past, the institution allocated funds for meals.

The NCAA imposed the following penalties:

* Two year show-cause order for the former head swimming coach (October 30, 2007, through October 29, 2009).

* The institution shall amend and update its Office of International Affairs I-20 forms for international student-athletes to 1) Explain that athletically related financial aid is subject to tax withholding; and 2) Require that the international student-athletes list their sources of financial support.

Special thanks to the NCAA for contributing to this report.

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