NCAA Hits Bruins Softball Hard

In a sweeping NCAA ruling announced Tuesday, UCLA’s softball team was stripped of its 1995 national championship, barred from postseason play this year and the school’s entire athletic program was put on probation for three years, beginning Feb. 1, 1997.

The sanctions, termed “devastating” by one university official, could have serious implications to UCLA’s athletic programs: Should the school be found to have committed another major infraction within five years, in any sport, the NCAA has the discretion to invoke the so-called “death penalty”--a sanction that could lead to the suspension of that sport for two years.

The only application of such a penalty was to Southern Methodist University’s football program in 1987-88.

The NCAA report noted a lack of oversight control and as a requirement during the three-year probationary period, UCLA will have to recertify its current oversight policies within the athletic department, a change school officials say already has taken place.

“We’re pretty careful now,” said UCLA’s senior woman administrator, Betsy Stephenson. “We need to be very aware that in the next three years, if there’s a problem with our program, it could be very serious for the institution.”

The three-year probationary period is one year longer than the minimum the NCAA issues after a major violation.

The NCAA also required that a senior associate director of athletics, whom the report did not name, be removed from the position for what the report called unethical conduct. Judith Holland, who held that post, was transferred last year to a position as chief planning officer for the vice chancellor of student affairs. Holland declined to comment on the ruling.

Additionally, the softball program will have its scholarships reduced from 12 to nine for the next two years.

UCLA officials have 15 days to appeal the findings.

It marks the first time UCLA has forfeited a national title and the first time since the 1981-82 men’s basketball season that a Bruin team has been banned from postseason play.

The ruling from the NCAA committee on infractions came at the end of a 20-month investigation that centered on the softball program’s awarding three softball players soccer scholarships--even though none of the three competed on the soccer team. According to the NCAA, Holland arranged a soccer tryout for one of the players, although it came after the season was over.

The report said the violations concerned “institutional control, financial aid and ethical conduct” and the actions put the softball program over the NCAA scholarship limit. The actions, which took place during the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, also resulted in a “significant competitive advantage for the university in softball,” the report said.

The three players involved were not identified. One was believed to have been Australian pitcher Tanya Harding, who led the ’95 team to the national title.

“The university took a position that it needed to improve its institutional control from the very beginning,” Stephenson said. “In terms of repairing the damage that’s been done, all I can say to you is that UCLA has a commitment to compliance.”

The Bruins (39-11) are ranked No. 4 in the nation and play their last games of the season Saturday--a doubleheader at home against Arizona State.

Said Stephenson: “To say we are surprised is an understatement.”