Fullerton Is Accused of NCAA Violations

The NCAA has accused Cal State Fullerton of violations in its men’s basketball program during the summer and fall of 1993 and the summer of ‘94, the school confirmed Tuesday.

The official NCAA inquiry comes after a preliminary investigation into alleged recruiting violations and charges of extra benefits for athletes, according to Judith Anderson, university executive vice president.

Anderson declined to discuss the specific nature of the allegations, and declined to identify anyone named in the inquiry. She said men’s basketball was the only sport involved.

Anderson, who oversees the athletic department for university President Milton Gordon, said the university will conduct its internal investigation and respond to the NCAA’s allegations when it is completed, following normal procedures.

“We are conducting a thorough review,” Anderson said. “We have co-operated fully in the past and will continue to do that. We expect to be done by the spring of 1998. I’m not in a position to comment further at this time. We believe that sharing this information would limit our ability to determine the facts surrounding this investigation.”

The NCAA began a preliminary inquiry at Fullerton in November, 1996.

The Times last August reported that the investigation centered on allegations that four men’s basketball recruits received living expenses, free housing, transportation and tuition payment for summer school and correspondence courses, which, if true, would violate NCAA rules forbidding “extra benefits” for student athletes.

The former recruits under scrutiny reportedly are Darren Little, Winston Peterson, Danny Robinson and Jerome Washington.

Little, Peterson and Robinson transferred to Fullerton from community colleges before the 1993-94 season. Washington also planned to transfer to Fullerton but failed to qualify academically. Little became academically ineligible after playing one season and left school. Peterson and Robinson completed their college eligibility at Fullerton.

Brad Holland was Fullerton’s head coach for the 1992-93 and 1993-94 seasons. He resigned in September, 1994, to become coach at the University of San Diego, and was replaced by current Fullerton Coach Bob Hawking, one of his assistants.

Holland was not immediately available for comment. Hawking said, “I’ve been told that all comments will come from the president’s office.”

Anderson said a university review panel will look into the NCAA allegations. In addition to Anderson, that group will include university counsel Monique Shay, Athletic Director John Easterbrook, faculty athletic representative Lee Gilbert, athletic compliance director June Kearney and John Beisner, an advisor to Gordon.

Dirk Taitt, a director of enforcement for the NCAA, said a school that receives an official inquiry letter normally has 90 days to file a written response to the enforcement staff and the committee on infractions.

Within 30 days of receiving that report, representatives of the enforcement staff normally meet with university officials in a pre-hearing conference. “At that point, the enforcement staff decides whether to amend or withdraw any of the charges,” Taitt said.

The next step normally is a hearing with the NCAA committee on infractions, which determines whether infractions are major or secondary, and has the power to impose penalties.

Secondary violations are viewed as isolated, unintentional and provide only a limited recruiting and competitive advantage, Taitt said.

“In instances where the enforcement staff issues a letter of formal inquiry, the enforcement staff’s view is that the case is major in nature,” Taitt said. “The enforcement staff doesn’t issue letters of official inquiry on secondary violations.”

Taitt added former coaches at a school penalized who are coaching at another NCAA school still can be held accountable under the so-called “show-cause” rule.