How and when did the investigation begin?The NCAA requires each Division III institution to complete a comprehensive self-study of their athletics programs at least once every five years to assess the role of athletics in the institution's educational mission. In the spring of 2011, the UW-River Falls' financial aid director conducted an internal financial aid review as part of the NCAA self-study. During the course of the review, the financial aid director recognized that five institutional scholarships (awards #1-5 below) were possibly being used to pay student assistant coaches in a manner not permitted by NCAA financial aid rules. The violations were immediately reported to the conference office and the NCAA, and UW-River Falls initiated an internal investigation. In the spring of 2012, after participating in a financial aid webinar, staff members from the UW-River Falls' Foundation conducted an internal review of all institutional scholarships. The review revealed that two additional scholarships (awards #6-7 below) included athletics criterion. After concluding its internal investigation, UW-River Falls formally reported the violations on June 25, 2012. Throughout the duration of the investigation, UW-River Falls cooperated with the NCAA by proactively developing and sharing information.
Timeline of the investigationSpring 2011 - UW-River Falls discovers possible financial aid violations
Spring 2011-Spring 2012 - UW-River Falls conducts an internal investigation
June 25, 2012 - UW-River Falls submits the formal violation report to the WIAC office
August 14, 2012 - WIAC office issues a response to the violation report and submits the response to NCAA enforcement staff
June 10, 2013 - NCAA enforcement staff issues a written notice of inquiry
September 24, 2013 - NCAA enforcement staff issues a notice of allegations
December 16, 2013 - UW-River Falls submits a response to the notice of allegations to NCAA enforcement staff
January 24, 2014 - UW-River Falls participates in a prehearing conference with NCAA enforcement staff
March 14, 2014 - UW-River Falls appears before the committee on infractions
April 23, 2014 - NCAA committee on infractions issues the public infractions report
Were any of the current staff members involved with the violations?No current staff members were involved with the violations.
Were any of the current student-athletes involved with the violations?No current student-athletes were involved with the violations.
Which scholarships were involved in the case?Â
| Award | Date Created | Impermissible Award Criteria | Amount of Award | Year of Violation | Award Recipient | Athletics Staff Involvement |
| Award #1 | 1989 | "Preference given to students who plan to coach football as student assistants. Preference should also be given to student who have participated in the football program." | $500 | 2010-11 | Former student-athlete serving as student assistant coach | Award recipient selected by head coach |
| Award #2 | 1990 | "Preference should be given to students who plan to coach football as student assistants. Preference should also be given to students who have participated in the football program." | $700
$760 | 2010-11
2009-10 | Former student-athlete serving as student assistant coach | Award recipient selected by head coach |
| Award #3 | 1980 | "Preference given to students who plan to coach football for at least one season as student assistants. Preference should also be given to students who have lettered in the football program." | $940 | 2009-10 | Former student-athlete serving as student assistant coach | Award recipient selected by head coach |
| Award #4 | 1986 | "Awarded to a student involved as a member of the coaching, teaching, or administrative staff of the football program. Former players are not eligible." | $550 | 2009-10 | Former student-athlete serving as student assistant coach | Award recipient selected by head coach |
| Award #5 | 1997 | awarded "to a student who has played basketball or football as an undergraduate and has used up his athletic eligibility. He will either be in his 5th year at the University or be enrolled in graduate school... If possible, a former athlete who demonstrated above average effort on behalf of the team." | $330 | 2009-10 | Former student-athlete serving as student assistant coach | Award recipient selected by head coach |
| Award #6 | 1999 | ..."must be involved in campus extracurricular activities (e.g. government, athletics, music, environment, Phi Delta Kappa, etc.)" | $975 | 2011-12 | Former student-athlete | No athletics staff involvement |
| Award #7 | 1982 | ..."one who has made contributions to the University through the Agricultural Education Society, Alpha Tau Alpha, varsity athletics, or other University activities." | $275 | 2008-09 | Student-athlete | No athletics staff involvement |
How was the former head coach involved in the arranging of financial aid packages?From 2007-08 through 2010-11, the funds from five institutional scholarships (awards #1-5 above) were used to pay the salaries of undergraduate student assistant coaches. Some of the student assistant coaches who received the awards were former student-athletes who had exhausted their eligibility. Each year, the former head coach received information regarding the five scholarships (name of fund, amount of money available and selection criteria) from the UWRF foundation office. Based on the information he was given, he reached out to students who had expressed an interest in coaching, determined who would receive the awards and sent the names to the foundation office. The foundation office would in turn forward the names to the financial aid office. The awarding process was impermissible because the awards were distributed through the financial aid office as scholarships rather than actual salaries through student payroll.
Why was the former head coach permitted to be involved in the arranging of financial aid packages?In 1999, the former athletic director sought guidance from the conference office regarding the permissibility of using scholarship money to pay the salaries of undergraduate student assistant coaches. More specifically, he asked if it would be permissible for former student-athletes who had exhausted their eligibility to serve as these student assistant coaches. The conference commissioner discussed the inquiry with members of the NCAA staff, who agreed it would be permissible if the following four conditions were met:
1. The student-athletes must have exhausted their eligibility;
2. The amount of money that the student assistant coaches earn, combined with any other institutional financial aid they receive, cannot exceed the limits of a full grant-in-aid at the institution;
3. The student-athletes cannot be promised employment prior to the completion of their eligibility; and
4. The funds used to pay the student assistant coaches must be processed through the institution as opposed to payment through a non-institutional account or separate process.
The UWRF staff believed that the awarding process being used met these criteria, and therefore allowed the former head coach to select the award recipients. However, during the internal investigation conducted by UWRF in the spring of 2011, it was discovered the awarding process was impermissible because it did not meet the fourth criteria which required the awards to be distributed through student payroll rather than through the financial aid office.
How did the institution fail to monitor the financial aid process?According to NCAA Bylaw 2.8.1, it is the responsibility of the institution to monitor its athletic program and to identify and report instances in which rules compliance has not been achieved. In this case, UWRF did not properly educate campus units, including the foundation office, on applicable financial aid legislation and did not recognize that the involvement of the former head coach was impermissible.
What does it mean to be on probation?During the period of probation, April 23, 2014 through April 22, 2015, the institution must do the following:
1. Request a Level II review from the NCAA Committee on Financial Aid.
2. Require the current director of athletics, current head football coach, the director of financial aid, and foundation staff members to attend an NCAA Regional Rules Seminar.
3. Conduct an educational workshop on campus for all athletics personnel and representatives from the offices of admission, financial aid, housing and the registrar.
4. Undergo an outside audit of student-athlete employment practices and financial aid awarding process to ensure that they are consistent with institutional guidelines and NCAA legislation.
5. Continue to develop and implement a comprehensive educational program on NCAA legislation.
6. Submit a preliminary report to the Office of the Committee on Infractions by June 1, 2014 setting forth a schedule for establishing the compliance and education program.
7. File with the Office of the Committee on Infractions an annual compliance report indicating the progress made with the program by March 1, 2015.
8. Inform prospective football student-athletes that the institution is on probation for one year and detail the violations committed.
9. Publicize specific and understandable information concerning the nature of the infractions by providing at a minimum, a statement to include the types of violations, the affected sport programs and a direct, conspicuous link to the public infractions decision located on the athletic department's main webpage. The information must also be included in media guides for all sports.
At the conclusion of the probation period, the chancellor shall provide a letter to the committee affirming that the institution's current athletics policies and practices conform to all requirements of NCAA regulations.
Are the UWRF athletic teams required to vacate any wins?No.
Are the UWRF athletic teams banned from postseason competition?No.
