Warriors are playing
NCAA’s waiting gameUH officials refuse to speculate on
what the punishment for the
volleyball team's violations will be
After admitting on Wednesday that it violated NCAA rules, the University of Hawaii knows it is in the doghouse. How long it will be there and what kind of punishment it receives is up to the NCAA.
The university submitted a report to the NCAA after an internal investigation found that the men's volleyball team used an ineligible player.
"It's about eligibility issues stemming from participation in a pro league," UH athletic director Herman Frazier said. Frazier said he didn't know whether the ineligibility affected only the 2002 season.
Officials have not revealed the identity of the player. An NCAA inquiry in May led to the university's investigation. On Wednesday, UH sent its report to the NCAA along with recommendations for disciplinary action. Now Hawaii must wait for a response. The NCAA could further investigate before issuing a ruling on the case. The Division I sports governing body could agree with the university's suggestions, take no action or revoke the national championship, the only national title in any men's sport at UH.
If the NCAA committee on infractions levied such a punishment, the 2002 championship would be vacated. Pepperdine, which lost to Hawaii in four games, would not become the national champion.
When asked when or how the NCAA might respond, Hawaii coach Mike Wilton refused comment on the matter except to say, "I don't know. It's going to take awhile."
Frazier said in a statement Wednesday that the university had committed a violation. He declined to speculate on what the NCAA might do or when.
"We can't speculate whatsoever because it's up to the NCAA and/or ... the infractions committee (if the NCAA takes it there)," Frazier said yesterday.
"The NCAA may look at it one way and I may look at it one way and that's why I don't want to speculate. I've seen a lot of them and I've seen them go both ways."
This is not the men's volleyball team's first brush with the NCAA. In 1996, UH self-reported a violation. Former Warriors Sivan Leoni and Naveh Milo were suspended for two matches after allowing three boosters to buy them dinner. Leoni and Milo missed the Warriors' preseason scrimmages against Stanford and repaid the boosters for the dinner. The suspension was an institutional punishment and the NCAA did not further sanction the players.
In the same year, Milo, Leoni and Yuval Katz had their names and pictures used in an advertisement for a nonprofit clinic, but they were cleared of any wrongdoing. The university did not authorize use of the names.
What's a pro?
An athlete is considered professional if he or she:>> is paid (in any form) or accepts the promise of pay for playing in an athletics contest;
>> signs a contract or verbally commits to an agent or a professional sports organization;
>> asks that his or her name be placed on a draft list;
>> uses his or her athletics skill for pay in any form (for example, TV commercials, demonstrations);
>> plays on a professional athletics team; or
>> participates on an amateur sports team and receives any salary, incentive payment, award, gratuity, educational expenses or expense allowances (other than playing apparel, equipment and actual and necessary travel, and room and board expenses).
Source: NCAA.org
