football recruits
The basketball pools and the gambling issue, however, are not the only ones cited by the NCAA in making up the charge of lack of institutional control, which could bring major sanctions on the UW athletic program as well as the football program. The UW also was found to be in violation of bylaws for allowing "numerous" prospective football recruits to ride on two privately owned luxury boats during official paid visits without proper compensation.
The violation occurred "even though the institution received information and instructions from both the Pacific-10 Conference office and the NCAA national office as to the correct amount the young men were to be charged for this transportation," the NCAA complaint said.
That was the issue the NCAA first approached Neuheisel about before he was questioned about his betting on the college basketball tournament through the two high-stakes auctions over the past two years. Although he at first denied being involved, Neuheisel later that day came back to NCAA and Pac-10 investigators and told of his involvement in the alleged NCAA gambling infraction of bylaw 10.3, which prohibits gambling of any sort on college athletics.
The final part of the institutional control charge cites the athletic department for failing to "properly acknowledge and prevent the contacts" between prospective athletes and a booster during the boat trips.
In a letter to all of the people named in the document, David Price, NCAA enforcement director, said a hearing before the NCAA's committee on infractions will be held in Indianapolis June 11-13.
Written responses to the charges are due from the UW by April 26.
The school also is braced for another potential NCAA investigation in response to state charges facing former softball team doctor William Scheyer, whose license to practice medicine was suspended by the Department of Health for allegedly administering large doses of prescription drugs to members of the softball team without proper medical examinations.
Acting UW athletic director Richard Thompson yesterday said the athletic department would contest the charge of lack of institutional control, which is similar to a Pac-10 charge that the UW failed to properly monitor its staff and coaches regarding NCAA gambling bylaws.
A statement issued by the university yesterday read: "With regard to the facts of the case, there are no new elements beyond what has been reported in the Pac-10 case."
But more new elements could surface because the university will be required to furnish volumes of additional information. The NCAA has asked for copies of all correspondence between the UW compliance office, its outgoing faculty representative, Rob Aronson, the Pac-10 and the NCAA regarding the use of the boats.
It also wants to know more about the booster, Chuck Richmond, and his relationship to members of the UW football staff.
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