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Articles
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More than just a game: NCAA versus UW By Richard Linde, Posted 8 June 2004
The NCAA has requested that a number of former and current athletics representatives be present. This includes former athletic director Barbara Hedges (photo left), head football coach Keith Gilbertson, interim university president Lee Huntsman, Ron Aronson (faculty athletics representative), the current director of compliance and former coach Rick Neuheisel. In addition, a boatload (no pun intended) of documentation has been requested from the UW. An infraction committee's self worth is directly proportional to the volume of paper work it generates, trees notwithstanding. According to the media, the repeat violator rule has been dropped, so there is no chance that the death penalty will be meted out. Also, potential violations (Ritalin, No Doz) connected to the drug scandal will not be considered. Therefore, the NCAA will consider the same set of allegations that the Pac-10 considered plus a charge involving "lack of institutional control," which could involve severe sanctions. In that context, three charges will be considered: (1) impermissible gambling, (2) undercharging for boat rides, and (3) illegal booster contacts. They are summarized in Table 1 below and are considered major violations by the NCAA. As shown by the table, the Pac-10 dealt with the violations minimally, putting the UW on probation for one year without any post-season bowl bans. The most serious charge, a failure to monitor (a superset of the three individual charges), was dropped by the Pac-10. If the NCAA should find the UW guilty of a lack of institutional control, it would most likely do so based on the office pools alleged to have taken place in 2000-2002. These small stakes pools run within the athletic department were allegedly run by former graduate assistant coach Ikaika Malloe. According to press reports, Malloe says that head coach Keith Gilbertson and several other coaches participated in those pools, not just the 1999 pool, which is outside the NCAA’s stature of limitations. The 1999 pool is the only one Gilbertson says he can remember participating in. The statements by Malloe and Gilbertson’s possible role may prove troublesome. Malloe says he ran the 2001-02 office pools at the UW and that Gilbertson along with current and former assistants Chuck Heater, Tim Hundley, Brent Myers, and Steve Axman had participated. The UW says that Malloe’s testimony is unreliable because he changed his original story. Originally, he stated that the 1999 pool was the only one he knew about. Malloe has told the NCAA that Gilbertson tried to get him to change his story. Gilbertson has denied the allegation, and the Pac-10 chose not to pursue it because of insufficient evidence. Betting in small stakes pools deserves little more than a letter of reprimand if that; however, if Coach Gilbertson is found to be lying about his participation in the other pools, the outcome could be severe. Wasn't that one of the reasons Neuheisel was fired? Meanwhile, down here in Camarillo, June gloom has settled in. Come next week, I hope it's less gloomy in Seattle. Table 1. Notice of Charges weighed by Pac-10.
Richard Linde (a.k.a., Malamute) can be reached at malamute@4malamute.com |
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June 11 will be a big day for the UW and, perhaps, for head
coach Keith Gilbertson. On that day,
university officials will meet with the NCAA infractions committee and discuss the allegations cited
in its Notice of Allegations received by UW officials on February 16.