The Southern Methodist University board of trustees...

The Southern Methodist University board of trustees has voted informally not to take legal action against Texas Gov. Bill Clements or anyone else involved in improper payments to football players, the Dallas Morning News reported.

The NCAA cited the improper payments in banning SMU from playing in 1987 and imposing other sanctions in February.

Clements, a former head of the board of trustees, said in March that he and other board members were aware of the payments and agreed to continue them, with the intention of phasing them out, after the school was placed on probation for previous similar violations.

Most other board members denied that they had any knowledge of the payments and Clements declined to identify board members who were aware of them.