Riverside Notre Dame Avoids Sanctions by Southern Section

The Southern Section, satisfied with actions taken by school officials and the Diocese of San Bernardino, will impose no sanctions on the Riverside Notre Dame football team for improper contact with prospective athletes.

“Notre Dame High School has committed to ensure that another occurrence of this type will not take place,” Jim Staunton, Southern Section commissioner, said Tuesday in a press release. “It is the feeling of the section that the administration and the diocese has built-in safeguards that are satisfactory.”

As part of the control measures instituted by the diocese and school officials, football Coach and Athletic Director Hal Pfeiffer will be fired.

Pfeiffer, who had been placed on paid administrative leave during the investigation, was videotaped during a meeting in February with a group of parents from other schools.

He allegedly offered to help find ways to pay the cost of tuition if the parents had their sons enroll at Notre Dame.

In a statement released Tuesday by the diocese, the following safeguards will be implemented:

* A new football coaching staff will be in place for the upcoming season.

* No person can serve as athletic director and coach concurrently.

* No parents can serve as walk-on coaches for the football team.

* A representative of the school administration will be assigned to the athletic booster club.