The following is from a Boston Globe article by Frank Dell'Apa,
dated today, Wednesday, 3/20/91. This is the very first I have
heard & I'll try to look into it more.
Now Hockey East has a team on probation, too. :-)
LOWELL - Wayne Edwards, athletic director at the University of Lowell,
remembers seeing a gauntlet of television cameras and reporters after a
meeting with the NCAA committee on infractions last month in San Diego.
"They weren't looking for us," Edwards said. "They were waiting for
Lou Holtz and Minnesota, who went in after us."
The NCAA got to the Lowell hockey team before the Minnesota football
team. The NCAA yesterday gave the Chiefs two years probation and banned
them from the 1992 championship tournament. The penalties might have been
greater had not Bill Riley Jr. resigned as head coach and the school
conducted an inquiry of its own.
"I'm disappointed but not necessarily surprised or angry," Edwards said.
"I don't think this is a decimating situation for the hockey program. It's
not as harsh as it could have been."
Edwards said the university will not appeal the sanctions.
Thus the Lowell hockey team, with a fraction of the budget, earning
potential and success of Big Ten football powers, became the first Hockey East
program to be disciplined by the NCAA.
The penalties seem steep for a team that has had just two winning records
since upgrading to Division 1 in 1983. Lowell is 31-67-5 in the last three
seasons. Since winning the Division 2 championship eight seasons ago, Lowell
has qualified only once for the NCAA tournament.
Former Bruin Bruce Crowder, an assistant coach last season who will replace
Riley, said, "I don't think [Riley] is a scapegoat. In regards to whether this
is fair, I don't know.
"I'm not a negative person and I'm looking ahead to a fresh start."
The NCAA report was especially critical of Riley, 46, who built the program
nearly from scratch into a charter member of Hockey East with future
professionals such as Craig MacTavish, Mark Kumpel and Jon Morris.
Riley, the report said, "made himself familiar with the current rules of
ice hockey but not the current rules governing recruiting and extra benefits.
"A theme of ignorance of the rules, ignoring the rules and a disdain for
seeking information about the rules by the head coach was evident throughout
the findings."
Efforts to reach Riley were unsuccessful.
The five-person committee "determined that this case involved major
violations of NCAA legislation that occurred after Sept. 1, 1985."
The violations included rental fees reduced for three players and
eliminated for one at apartments owned by Riley; transportation, meals and
lodging in Riley's home for two prospects; transportation and entertainment
on Riley's sailboat in Gloucester; contact with a prospect "in person off-
campus for recruiting purposes"; press passes to professional hockey games;
permitting players to use the office telephone for free long-distance calls;
and the offering of cash in the locker room to players. The cash,
approximately $200, apparently was offered between periods of a Nov. 22, 1986,
game against Boston University at Tully Forum in Billerica. The incident
became "team folklore", according to the report, and the 3-2 Lowell victory
stands as the Chiefs' only win ever over BU.
Also, the report said, Riley "failed to deport himself in accordance with
the generally recognized high standards normally associated with the conduct
and administration of intercollegiate athletics" and showed "a knowing and
willful effort on his part to conduct the university's ice hockey program
contrary to NCAA legislation."
"The last three years we have made every effort to run the program the
way it should be run," Edwards said.
The investigation began after the parents of Lowell hockey players
notified the NCAA of possible infractions, according to university officials.
The university then conducted an internal investigation.
(end)
Maybe this explains Riley's sudden decision to retire at the young age of
46 last year.
- mike
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