Maryland’s Appeal of NCAA Sanctions an Uphill Fight

The avenue of appeal down which the University of Maryland is about to travel has been one of futility that has yielded nothing to those who have previously made the trip.

Maryland officials say they will appeal some of the NCAA sanctions imposed Monday that will ban the Terrapin men’s basketball program from postseason play in 1991 and 1992, prohibit the team from playing on television next season, and keep the program on probation for the next three years. The sanctions cut from 15 to 13 the number of scholarships and will force the university to return $407,378 of the money it earned for the Terrapins’ 1988 NCAA tournament appearance.

“We will base our appeal on our cooperation with the NCAA’s investigation, the actions the institution took (after the violations were uncovered) and having never before had a major violation,” said William Kirwan, university president.

Of the 36 schools that have been sanctioned since 1986 when the mandatory penalties began, only two have appealed the committee’s ruling, Marist in 1987 and Cleveland State in 1988. Neither won any reduction in penalties.

Maryland was cited for a lack of institutional control that allowed the violations to occur during the three-year coaching tenure of Bob Wade.

Among the violations that were considered the most damaging were cash payments, leased car and transportation provided to former Terrapin guard Rudy Archer; the false and misleading information given to investigators by Wade and members of his staff; the sale of complimentary Atlantic Coast Conference tournament tickets; and the clothing obtained free or at a great discount for prospective recruits.