Sooner Basketball Gets Probation/Scholarship Reduction

The Kelvin Sampson case appears to be closed now. The Oklahoma men’s basketball team will face a two year probation period through May 24, 2008 and will have scholarships reduced from 13 to 11 for the 06-07 season.

In addition, former Sooner coach Kelvin Sampson will not be allowed to call any recruits for the next 12 months, he also won't be allowed to take part in any off-campus recruiting for the next year for Indiana.

"This case is a result of the former head coach's complete disregard for NCAA guidelines for proper telephone contacts with recruits," said Thomas Yeager, acting chair of the committee. "The former head coach created and encouraged an atmosphere among his staff of deliberate noncompliance, rationalizing the violations as being a result of 'prioritizing' rules."

The penalties are as follows (including the gymnastics team):

• Public reprimand and censure.

• Two years' probation for the institution through May 24, 2008.

• The committee adopted the university's reduction in scholarships in men's basketball from 13 to 11 for 2005-06 and from 13 to 12 in 2006-07.

• The committee adopted the university's reduction in the number of permissible calls to prospects in July following their junior year in high school from three to one.

• The committee adopted the university's reduction in number of permissible calls from one call per month to one call every other month to prospects on or after June 15 of the prospects' sophomore year in high school through July 31 of the prospects' junior year in high school, starting August 1 2005, and ending July 31, 2007.

Certain exceptions are permitted per NCAA rules and are noted in the public report. The committee notes that this penalty will result in the reduction of at least 240 calls over two years "and was imposed to directly address any recruiting advantage gained by the impermissible telephone calls."

• The committee adopted the university's reduction in the number of calls allowed to prospects after August 1 of their senior year in high school from two calls per week to one call per week for two years starting Aug. 1, 2005, and ending July 31, 2007. Certain exceptions are allowed per NCAA rules and are noted in the public report. The committee said this will reduce the number of calls from at least 780 to possibly more than 1,600 calls over two years.

• The committee adopted the university's restriction on the former head coach to recruit off-campus in July 2005 and its reduction on the number of permissible recruiters at any one time from three to two during July 2005. The committee also adopted the university's restriction to limit the former head coach from off-campus recruiting for a maximum of 19 days from Aug. 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, including at off-campus appearances where prospects might be in attendance.

• The committee adopted the university's reduction in official paid visits in men's basketball from 12 to nine in 2005-06 and permissible recruiting days from 130 to 96 for 2005-06 and 2006-07.

• The institution issued a public letter of reprimand to the former head coach and retroactively banned him from receiving bonuses in his contract from March 2, 2005, to March 1, 2007. During this period, the former head coach's contract shall not be renegotiated, amended or extended and he is not eligible for any increase in compensation. The university said the cost to the former head coach over the two-year period for this penalty will be approximately $180,000.

• The former head coach's current institution adopted and transferred several penalties in this case, including the reductions in permissible calls; the limits on off-campus recruiting for the former head coach through June 30, 2006; the public letter of reprimand; and limits on the former head coach's bonuses and employment contract. The current employer noted to the committee that the former head coach used 15 of 19 allowable days to recruit off-campus at Oklahoma and could only be off-campus to recruit four days from when he was hired through June 30, 2006. His present institution has also required weekly meetings between compliance staff and the director of basketball operations to monitor men's basketball recruiting activities. As previously mentioned, the committee added a one-year prohibition on recruiting phone calls and off-campus recruiting activities to these penalties.

• Regarding women's gymnastics, the committee adopted the university's penalty to reduce practice activities by 192 hours for 2004-05 and 2005-06 and require the coaching staff to reduce practice by one hour a day in 2005-06. In addition, the coaching staff was allowed to provide individual skill instruction only every other week during Fall 2005 out-of-season practices.

• The committee acknowledged the university's self-imposed penalties of issuing letters of reprimand and one-week suspensions from practice and team-related activities to the head women's gymnastics coach and the assistant coaches. The head coach was also required to attend a 2005 NCAA Regional Rules Seminar at his expense. The institution also froze the head coach's salary for one-year and he did not have the opportunity to receive any bonuses in his contract for 2004-05, which were penalties imposed by the university and acknowledged by the committee.

• The university self-imposed reductions in practice activities for the men's gymnastics teams by 108 hours in 2005-06 and only allowed the men's gymnastics coaches to provide individual skill instruction every other week during Fall 2005 out-of-season practice activities.