Harding Case: Bruin Softball Gets Probation

The turmoil that followed UCLA’s national softball championship in early June continued Tuesday, when the school was penalized for violations that indirectly led to a scholarship for Australian pitcher Tanya Harding. In addition, it was announced that Judith Holland, associate athletic director, would be reassigned.

UCLA’s, which conducted its own investigation, was put on a year’s probation in the sport by the Pacific 10 Conference, which also reduced the school’s softball scholarships by five. The penalties were for UCLA’s awarding nearly 2.5 more scholarships than allowed under NCAA rules.

The case will be reviewed by the NCAA, which could strip the school of its 1994-95 NCAA softball title. Arizona finished second.

Probation means that the softball team, which has won eight championships, is ineligible for postseason play next year.

“The violations we discovered were serious,” said Peter Dalis, UCLA’s athletic director. “We regret that they occurred. When discovered, UCLA reported the violations to the Pac-10 immediately.”

Holland went on medical leave in mid-August, but details of her illness have not been disclosed. She will be reassigned when she returns to work, school officials said, adding that Sharron Backus, softball co-coach, will also be disciplined. Her penalty was not disclosed. Sue Enquist, the other co-coach, was not disciplined.

Holland and Backus have each worked for the school for more than 20 years.

Shortly after Harding led UCLA to the NCAA championship in late May, Holland and the softball program became mired in controversy. Harding didn’t arrive from Australia until the 21st game of a 56-game season, then returned home two days after the championship game. She did not take her final examinations, said she had never planned to and that UCLA officials had been fully aware of that.

Holland later said that Harding fulfilled her academic requirements in July, while she was touring in the United States with the Australian national team.

But UCLA was able to offer a scholarship to Harding at mid-season only because, over a two-year period, it had improperly charged nearly 2.5 softball scholarships to its women’s soccer program through misinterpretation of an NCAA rule, the school said. Apparently some softball players had tried out for the soccer team, but never played on it. Women’s soccer was a new sport at UCLA in 1993-94 and had some unused scholarships.

Richard Herzog, the school’s compliance officer, told Holland even before Harding arrived that he believed the scholarship rule was being improperly interpreted, but Holland disagreed, according to spokesman Marc Dellins. When Herzog’s responsibility was increased in June, he reviewed the situation again and reported the infraction.

Neither Holland nor Backus could be reached Tuesday for comment.