Report: NCAA Crackdown on Oklahoma

OKLAHOMA CITY —  The University of Oklahoma football program has been placed on three years’ probation, banned from television appearances in 1989 and barred from postseason competition in 1989 and 1990 for recruiting violations, a television station reported Saturday night.

KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City said that it had obtained a copy of the NCAA report to be released Monday.

The station also reported that the NCAA will tell the school that the number of official paid visits by prospective students athletes will be limited to 50 for the next two years and that only eight full-time coaches can participate in off-campus recruiting in 1989.

The station also said the NCAA will limit Oklahoma to 18 football scholarships for the next two years.

Athletic Director Donnie Duncan and his assistant, John Underwood, said they would have no comment about the television station’s report. Football Coach Barry Switzer was out of town and unavailable for comment.

An athletic department official said a news conference will be held Monday to discuss the NCAA sanctions.

David Berst, the assistant director in charge of enforcement for the NCAA, refused to confirm or deny the station’s report.

“We will have nothing to say until Monday morning,” Berst said

The NCAA reportedly has asked the school to show cause why it should not be penalized further if it fails to take disciplnary action against three assistant coaches and fails to disassociate itself from a booster.

The station did not identify the assistants or the booster.

Oklahoma will play Clemson in the Citrus Bowl Jan. 2.

The station also reported that the NCAA found “numerous and major violations,” including these:

--A booster provided an automobile for a prosective student-athlete at no cost.

--An assistant coach led a student-athlete to believe that he would be “taken care of” if he enrolled at the school.

--An assistant coach provided $1,000 in cash to a recruit as an inducement to enroll at the school.

--Student-athletes were given cash for the sale of their complimentary season tickets.

--The former recruiting coordinator arranged for airplane tickets at no cost for a recruit and a student athlete.

--Switzer supplemented the salaries of assisant coaches and staff and paid for rental cars of student hosts from his checking account.

--Transportation, entertainment and inducements were provided to prospective student-athletes.

The NCAA notified Oklahoma in February of alleged violations in the football program. A hearing on the case was held Oct. 30, and officials said a penalty was expected Monday.

At the October hearing, school officials told the NCAA they would propose a set of policies to show they were taking steps toward compliance, according to interim President David Swank.

One of those policies, adopted Dec. 8 by university regents, calls for the termination of any athletic department staff member who knowingly breaks an NCAA rule or tries to cover up a violation.

Shirley Vaughan was removed as recruiting coordinator for Oklahoma’s football program 8 days after school officials met with the NCAA, officials say.

Duncan confirmed Friday night that Vaughan’s removal was related to the NCAA investigation, but he declined to be more specific.