THE SIDELINES : Automatic ‘Death Penalty’ Unlikely for Gators’ Athletics, NCAA Says

GAINESVILLE, Fla. —  An NCAA official said today that it is unlikely that the University of Florida would face an automatic “death penalty” for Gators’ athletic programs because any investigation of rule violations would have to be completed by January.

“First of all, it’s not guaranteed there is a case,” David Berst, assistant executive director for enforcement, said.

“We have to find a major violation and process it before January of 1990,” he said, adding that it’s unlikely that the NCAA could close a case in less than four months.

He refused to say whether the NCAA has even launched an official investigation.

“I don’t have any intention of disclosing that,” he said, but he acknowledged that investigators are aware of grand jury testimony from Florida athletes who said they received money from members of the coaching staff.

Under legislation passed in June, 1985, programs found in violation of NCAA rules twice during a five-year span automatically qualify for the death penalty--a one- or two-year suspension of the program. The Florida football program was placed on probation in 1984.