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Maryland Hit by Penalties From NCAA

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From Associated Press

The men’s basketball program at Maryland was banned today from 1991 and 1992 postseason tournaments, prohibited from appearing on television next season and placed on three years’ probation for major violations of NCAA rules.

The university must also return $407,378 of its earnings from the 1988 NCAA tournament in which the Terrapins advanced to the second round, the NCAA said in a statement.

The penalties are less than the minimum prescribed for such violations, but the NCAA Committee on Infractions deemed Maryland’s case unique, saying the school had conducted a thorough investigation of the program, cooperated fully with investigators, recommended substantial penalties at a hearing and fired members of the basketball staff who had violated the rules.

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Maryland remains eligible for postseason play this year. Gene Corrigan, commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference, said he did not see how Maryland could play in next year’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament because of the television ban.

No limits were placed on recruiting visits, and the number of scholarships for the next two years will be limited to 13, a penalty recommended by the university itself. The NCAA could have severely restricted recruiting and eliminated scholarships for several years.

The NCAA cited the university’s “failure to meet the principles of institutional control and rules compliance, which are among the fundamental principles of the association and its members”

University President William Kirwin said the school is disappointed that the penalties are so severe and will appeal. He said the sanctions would cost the school $3 million in lost revenue.

“The university deeply regrets, indeed is embarrassed by, its violations of NCAA rules,” he said. “It accepts full responsibility and believes it should receive appropriate penalties. I’d like to voice our great disappointment at the severity of penalties imposed by the infractions committee.”

He said Maryland’s cooperation in the investigation appeared to make no difference in the severity of the penalties, nor did Maryland’s previous unblemished record in major violations cases.

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“They have imposed all but the most insignificant of sanctions. They could have imposed two years of probation and a one-year ban on postseason tournament appearances,” Kirwin said. “I’m left to wonder how different the sanctions would be had we had repeated violations, been uncooperative and not taken substantive action.”

Maryland has 15 days to appeal to the NCAA Council, which meets in mid-April.

The sanctions penalize Maryland for the 18 rules violations that include inducing recruits with free clothing, providing a car for a student athlete and selling complimentary ACC tournament tickets. All of the violations occurred during the three-year tenure of Coach Bob Wade and were uncovered by an NCAA investigation that began last February

Wade was forced to resign last May. The school bought out the final two years of Wade’s five-year contract.

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