Audit Finds Texas Tech Used 76 Ineligible Athletes

Six years’ worth of academic certification errors came to a head Thursday for Texas Tech, which released an audit indicating that 76 athletes in eight sports had competed ineligibly over that time.

It will be up to the NCAA, which this month is expected to reveal results of a 1 1/2-year investigation into allegations of improprieties in the athletic program, whether teams must forfeit any victories or return postseason tournament money.

Athletic certification troubles have caused six athletes to miss playing time or be declared ineligible in recent months. The men’s basketball team requested it not be considered for the NCAA tournament last season when two players were deemed ineligible during the Big 12 tournament.

“If nothing else, this audit indicates a clear pattern of unsatisfactory work, lack of attention to detail and a lack of a general understanding of NCAA satisfactory progress legislation,” Chancellor John T. Montford said in a written statement.

Directed by an Overland Park (Kan.) law firm that specializes in NCAA compliance matters, the audit investigated records of 683 current and former athletes. The athletes’ names were deleted from the report.

The investigation found that since the 1991-92 school year, some athletes had competed ineligibly in football, men’s and women’s basketball, baseball, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, men’s track and women’s volleyball.

Golf

After a difficult weekend of Ryder Cup competition in Spain, Davis Love III welcomed the relative peace and serenity of Pine Mountain, Ga., and the Buick Challenge.

He shot a five-under-par 67 that put him only a shot behind leader Mike Brisky. But it hardly eased the pain of the loss in Spain.

“I could win the next 10 tournaments, but we still lost the Ryder Cup,” Love said. “Individual golf and team golf are so different. It doesn’t make any difference.”

Brisky used birdies on his last four holes to take the lead. Gabriel Hjertstedt, the Swedish rookie who won the B.C. Open last weekend; 15-year veteran David Ogrin, Gary Hallberg, Brandel Chamblee and Hal Sutton also shot 67s.

Stefania Croce and Catriona Matthew each shot a 67, five under, and shared a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA Betsy King Classic at Kutztown, Pa.

Tennis

Lionel Roux of France, a replacement for Pete Sampras, who withdrew Sunday because of a shoulder injury, upset second-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain, 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), in the second round of the $975,000 Swiss Indoors at Basel. In another upset, No. 5 Jonas Bjorkman was beaten by Swedish countryman Magnus Norman, 6-1, 6-4.

Jurisprudence

The driver of a limousine that crashed while carrying three members of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings appeared in court in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., to face a misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license.

Richard Gnida, 28, had a not-guilty plea entered on his behalf by Magistrate Judith Gracey. Gnida was released on $2,000 bail.

Police also issued Gnida a ticket for careless driving after determining he was at fault for the accident June 13 after the Red Wings’ victory celebration. Defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov and trainer Sergei Mnatsakanov remain hospitalized with head injuries. Defenseman Vyacheslav Fetisov suffered less serious injuries.

Pro Basketball

Michael Finley has accepted a five-year $42-million contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks. Finley had earlier rejected a $40-million offer. . . . The Seattle SuperSonics acquired swingman Dale Ellis from Denver, sending guard Greg Graham and center Steve Scheffler to the Nuggets. Seattle also will give the Nuggets one of their two second-round picks in the 1998 draft. . . . The Detroit Pistons agreed to terms with 1997 draft picks Scot Pollard and Charles O’Bannon. The 6-11 Pollard, of Kansas, was the team’s first-round selection. O’Bannon, a 6-5 swingman from UCLA, was a second-round pick. . . . Phil Jackson says this definitely will be his last as coach of the Chicago Bulls, who signed No. 1 draft pick Keith Booth to a three-year contract.

Miscellany

Vivian Fuller, athletic director at Northeastern Illinois, was hired for the same post at Tennessee State--becoming the first black woman to head an NCAA Division I program with a football team. . . . A sprained right foot is expected to prevent Galaxy defender Robin Fraser from playing in Sunday’s MLS playoff opener against the Dallas Burn at the Rose Bowl. . . . Joe Nemechek edged Dick Trickle to lead a sweep by Winston Cup regulars for the top five starting spots in Saturday’s All Pro Bumper-To-Bumper 300 NASCAR Busch Grand National race at Concord, N.C.