Caltech admits shortcomings, accepts NCAA sanctions

A unique institutional policy and poor oversight were two of the larger causes behind the somewhat shocking sanctions and penalties self-imposed and levied against Caltech as was announced by the NCAA on Thursday.

The Division III, 900-student member is officially on three years probation, is due to vacate wins across multiple sports, will not be eligible for the postseason in most sports next season, will pay $5,000 in fines and will be banned from certain types of recruiting for the upcoming season.

The sanctions came after Caltech self-reported the violations to the NCAA, which launched a formal review and issued a report Thursday.

Caltech issued a press release which stated, “Caltech identified some instances in which student-athletes were inadvertently permitted to participate when ineligible, and we promptly disclosed these finding to the NCAA. We very much regret that the high standard we expect of ourselves were not met; we acknowledge our responsibility and have taken all necessary steps to remedy the situation and ensure it does not happen again.”

According to the NCAA’s report, the violations took place from 2007 to 2011 and involved 30 student-athletes from 12 of the school’s 17 sports who were allowed to practice or compete while not being enrolled full-time or not being in good academic standing or both.

“The violations occurred in large part due to a unique institutional policy that encourages students to ‘shop’ for courses before finalizing their class schedules,” the report stated.

This shopping affords students the opportunity to try out courses through the first three weeks of Caltech’s 10-week quarter sessions without needing to be registered full-time as long as the students are in good standing.

The NCAA report states that 18 of the 30 athletes, who participated in men’s water polo, men’s and women’s fencing, men’s soccer, men’s basketball, baseball, men’s tennis, men’s and women’s track and field, women’s cross-country and women’s swimming and diving, were involved in such infractions.

Even so, Caltech has no plans on modifying its shopping habits.

“The school is not going to change the policy. However, correctable actions have been made, with most being made a year ago,” said Deborah Williams-Hedges, Caltech’s senior media relations representative.

Besides the lack of finalized student schedules, an additional nine students were allowed to practice and compete despite failing to meet good academic standing and three additional participants were both enrolled part-time and were not in good standing.

In each of the above cases, Caltech was either in violation of the NCAA’s impermissible participation rule or lacked the organization’s definition of institutional control.

The report further stated, “the violations occurred in large part due to the institution’s failure to have procedures in place to certify the academic eligibility of its student-athletes and the failure to provide rules education to its coaches, student-athletes and administrators.”

One glaring hole noted by the report was there “was no written process or procedure in place for performing certification duties and ensuring all student-athletes were eligible pursuant to the relevant rules.”

The genesis of the current situation began in 2010 when Caltech initiated an eternal review of athletics. New athletic director Betsy Mitchell, who formally took over in April of 2011, expanded the review to include NCAA compliance issues.

In August, it was determined eight students were in violation of eligibility requirements and the scope of the investigation was expanded to include the 2008-09 sports season.

In December, the school delved into the 2007-08 season and then self-reported its infractions to the NCAA in January.

As for the aforementioned sanctions, there will be no playoffs in the upcoming 2012-13 season for all sports except men’s swimming, women’s basketball, women’s tennis, women’s volleyball and women’s water polo.

As for the forfeits, Williams-Hedges said Sports Information Director Stephen Hinkel will work with the NCAA on which victories will be vacated.

William-Hedges did offer a silver lining, though, when she confirmed the Beavers men’s basketball program’s 46-45 victory over Occidental on Feb. 22, 2011, which famously snapped the school’s 26-year, 310-game SCIAC losing streak, was not in jeopardy of being forfeited.