Here is a Portland Press Herald article from Thursday Jan. 30:
 
NCAA keeps Maine waiting for final ruling 
 
      By Kevin Thomas 
       Staff Writer
©Copyright 1997 Guy Gannett Communications
 
The University of Maine must wait as long as 10 more days for the NCAA to
decide on the school's appeal.
 
The appeal decision is the final action needed to complete Maine's NCAA
ordeal. The saga started in 1994, when the NCAA began investigating
allegations of rule violations.
 
Maine is appealing two of the penalties the NCAA levied because of numerous
violations. Those penalties are a ban from the 1997 NCAA hockey tournament
and a reduction in football scholarships for next year.
 
A decision on the appeal was expected in December or early January.
 
"It's a complex case and it's getting the amount of attention it deserves,"
appeals committee chairman Michael Slive said
Wednesday.
 
''We try to get them done on a timetable, but the more compelling issue is
to treat all parties fairly.
 
''We expect to issue a decision very shortly, within 10 days.''
 
Ten more days will cost the football team. The first day that high school
football recruits can sign with colleges is next
Wednesday, Feb. 5. With fewer scholarships, Maine will likely miss out on
some recruits.
 
Maine, which normally offers 55 scholarships (eight fewer than the
NCAA-allowed 63) will only have 50 scholarships for next year.
 
Current players use 44 of those scholarships, meaning Maine has only six
scholarships to offer. Maine will likely offer partial
scholarships to more than six players.
 
Football coach Jack Cosgrove was out recruiting Wednesday and could not be
reached for comment.
 
If the appeals decision is made in 10 days, the hockey team will know its
fate in plenty of time. Postseason play does not
begin until March 6, when the Hockey East tournament starts.
 
If Maine is banned from the NCAA tournament, it is also banned from the
Hockey East tournament, a decision already made
by the conference board of directors. Maine's last regular-season game is
March 1.
 
"Some of our players have already made plans to go to Florida for spring
break if the appeal doesn't go through," hockey coach Shawn Walsh said.
"I'll go golfing."
 
The appeal process has dragged since the NCAA handed down its penalties on
July 31 of last year. The five-step process includes Maine filing its
appeal, the Committee on Infractions responding to the appeal, Maine
rebutting that response, a hearing and, finally, the decision.
 
Maine's hearing with the appeals committee was Dec. 3. At the time, Maine
officials hoped to hear a decision before the Christmas break.
 
The hockey program was the original target of the investigation and has been
hit with the heaviest penalties. Maine has already missed the 1996 NCAA
tournament; Walsh was suspended for one year without pay; and the hockey
team will lose
eight scholarships over three years.
 
Football was one of five other programs that lost scholarships because of
the use of ineligible players - the fault of Maine's inadequate compliance
system. Football was penalized the hardest - too hard, Maine officials
contend - because it had the most ineligible players.
 
...
 
The Maine hockey team comes back to Alfond Arena on a roll. The Black Bears
(16-9-1, 9-6-1) moved into third place in Hockey East after last Saturday's
3-1 upset win at Boston University.
 
Maine plays host to Boston College (10-12-3, 6-7-3) Friday night at 7, then
Merrimack (8-15-1, 4-9-1) Sunday at 2 p.m.
Maine has already split games with both teams.
 
The Black Bears are 7-1 in January, but are still a long shot for the
regular-season conference title. With eight games left,
Maine has 19 points. First-place New Hampshire has 26, and BU has 25.
 
Maine's last two home hockey games were sellouts but, so far, plenty of
tickets remain for both games this weekend.
 
---
Deron Treadwell ([log in to unmask])