Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 1, 1990 TAG: 9006010121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
"We're glad to get it behind us," said Bobby Robinson, Clemson's athletic director. "It's been tough on a lot of people."
The NCAA Committee on Infractions found that on at least two occasions in the fall of 1985 an athlete received and distributed cash payments of $50 to $70 to a teammate.
"They were able to determine the player got the money and believed it to be a violation, but they could not determine where the money came from," said Catherine Sams, a university spokeswoman.
The committee also determined that in the spring of 1987 the athlete received $50 in cash from a booster.
The NCAA originally charged the school with 14 rule violations from 1984 to 1988. Later, one of the charges was dropped and two were amended.
Under NCAA guidelines, Clemson could have been placed on two years probation and been barred from bowl and television appearances for a year. The program also could have faced reductions in scholarships and restrictions on off-campus recruiting.
Clemson president Max Lennon disagreed with reporters who said it appeared the school had gotten off lightly.
"Probation is extremely serious, and we take probation at Clemson very seriously," Lennon said during a news conference.
But Lennon and the other Clemson officials obviously know they could have faced much more severe penalties.
"I'm breathing a lot easier," said Ken Hatfield, the Tigers' first-year coach.
The committee said it did not levy the minimum penalties called for by NCAA policy because there were only two major violations, and they were limited in nature. The committee also found no pattern of violations.
The committee found the violations did not occur because of a lack of institutional control and said the university cooperated with the NCAA investigation.
Under the committee's ruling, however, the NCAA could shut down the Clemson football program for a limited period if a major violation is uncovered at the school in the next five years.
The violations occurred under former coach Danny Ford, who resigned under pressure Jan. 19 - less than two weeks after the NCAA told the school it was conducting a formal inquiry.
Ford is scheduled to hold a news conference today to discuss the NCAA decision.
***CORRECTION***
Published correction ran on June 3, 1990\ Correction
The Associated Press reported erroneously that the NCAA Committee on Infractions determined two former Clemson players received small cash sums. The committee, in its report on the Tiger football program, found that only one player received the money.
Memo: correction