July 31, 1996
Contact: John Diamond at (207) 581-3743
Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
Matt Bourque at (207) 581-3646
 
 
UMAINE OFFICIALS REACT TO NCAA FINDINGS
 
ORONO, Maine -- University of Maine officials reacted to the
NCAA's Committee on Infractions report today, saying that they
are pleased that the committee came to many of the same conclusions as
the University on the factual issues surrounding the schools'
athletics investigation. However, the officials expressed
disappointment that the committee imposed certain additional penalties
beyond those already imposed by the University itself.
 
At an afternoon news conference, President Frederick E. Hutchinson and
Director of Athletics and Recreation Suzanne Tyler said that they
appreciated that the committee viewed the University's rules
infractions as the result of "misinterpretation, misapplication, or
ignorance of NCAA rules," and not because of any deliberate attempt to
break the rules.
 
However, Hutchinson and Tyler both said that they believe certain NCAA
penalties against the men's ice hockey program -- specifically a ban
on post-season competition for the upcoming school year -- were
"excessive."
 
"I am especially disheartened that members of that team -- the very
students who volunteered much of the information on which many of the
findings were based -- may now suffer for their honesty by being
denied a chance to compete in post-season tournaments once again next
year," Hutchinson said. "That punishment seems excessive, given the
circumstances and the penalties the program has already received. It
also seems excessive in light of the uncommon and impressive level of
cooperation that the NCAA acknowledges it received from our
student-athletes."
 
Tyler said she and Hutchinson agree that the University should
consider certain elements of the additional penalties imposed by the
NCAA.
 
"There may be some penalties that, while harsh, we nonetheless might
choose to accept in order to move on," Tyler explained.  "However,
there is one penalty which we find so excessive and unfair that the
president and I feel obligated to appeal it, specifically another
year's prohibition on post-season play for ice hockey. Whether we
decide to appeal other NCAA penalties will depend on several
considerations, especially the issue of fairness to the students."
 
Tyler continued, "We need more time to contemplate what clearly were
unexpectedly harsh penalties on programs and students. We won't make
those decisions hastily, but neither will we attempt to drag this
process out. Like most everyone, we want closure, but we also want
what is fair and appropriate for our students, our athletics programs,
and the University."
 
Hutchinson and Tyler were also encouraged by the committee
chairperson's comments regarding the ice hockey team's 1993 national
championship. David Swank, the committee chairperson, stated in his
news conference that the committee did not find the University
responsible for two student-athletes who competed in the championship
game but whose eligibility was questioned as a result of the
investigation.
 
The NCAA's Executive Committee will determine whether UMaine loses its
1993 championship in August. That committee will consider the case of
a student-athlete on that team who had been a member of the 1992
Olympic hockey team, and who, along with others on the team, had
received a stipend after the Olympics for competing. The
student-athlete and his mother had been told by Olympic team officials
that the stipend was permissible under NCAA rules. That assurance
later proved to be inaccurate.
 
Another accusation, involving a member of the 1993 championship team
who had been inaccurately certified as eligible for the Fall 1991
semester, was dropped by NCAA staff, was not considered by the
Committee on Infractions,  and is not expected to be considered by the
Executive Committee. The student-athlete and the ice hockey program
were penalized in 1993 for the inaccurate certification that occurred
in 1991.
 
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