In February 1994, the University of Maine discovered that five
graduate student-athletes were not enrolled in a minimum of six
credit hours, as required by NCAA rules. The field hockey,
football, track and field, and men's ice hockey teams were
affected by the discovery.
 
Then-UMaine NCAA compliance officer Linwood "Woody" Carville
made the discovery on Feb. 14, 1994, according to a report
issued by the university the following month. On Feb. 17,
Carville told then-Athletics Director Michael Ploszek. Ploszek
turned and informed President Frederick Hutchinson and the
university's faculty representative to the NCAA, George
Jacobson.
 
According to the report, Ploszek met with Hutchinson and
Jacobson on Feb. 18 and told them about the situation.
Hutchinson told Ploszek to look into whether the student-
athletes involved could take "special classes" to restore
their eligibility. Hutchinson asked Ploszek to report back
to him on Feb. 22.
 
Meanwhile, the hockey and indoor track and field teams were
preparing to compete on Feb. 19 and Feb. 20. Ploszek didn't
tell the coaches of either team about the problem. According
to the university's report, "reponsible parties appeared so
traumatized that they waited too long before acting in a
timely manner."
 
Ploszek admitted he made a mistake in not telling the coaches
of the teams that were competing that weekend. Jacobson said
he didn't suggest calling the coaches or the NCAA.
 
The coaches interviewed for the university's March 1994 report
into the matter each said they did not know about their
athletes' being ineligible until Feb. 24.
 
Now the interesting part. In August 1992, Carville received a
memo from the NCAA informing him that a student-athlete enrolled
in a graduate program can take six credit hours. This was in
response to a football player's inquiry about whether he could
play a fourth year even though he had graduated.
 
But despite the rule interpretation by the NCAA itself in 1992,
the applicable rule is quite clear: "A student may compete while
enrolled in a full-time graduate program as defined by the
institution, but in any event not fewer than eight hours."
 
 
_____________________________________________________________________
Ryan Robbins               "Nothing in fine print is ever good news."
University of Maine                                  -- Andy Rooney
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