Hi folks.. Another NCAA Committee on Infractions decision out today which leads me to believe that the decision on Maine is around the corner. If you remember in a previous post I compared Maine's violations to penalties and violations imposed on New Mexico State. Another interesting twist today. Remember, just because the NCAA decides this way in these cases doesn't mean Maine will get the same treatment, but being that the same committee will release their decision on Maine it does help to get a frame of reference they might be thinking. The University of Texas Pan-Am was placed on four years probation today by the NCAA.. I was not clear as to whether any of the involved post-season sanctions. However the interesting part falls under the coach of the UTPA basketball program, Mark Adams. Adams was accused of violating NCAA ethical standards by talking about the investigations against orders of the NCAA and providing false information to the NCAA. Sound a little like Shawn Walsh to anyone else? UTPA originally suspended Adams (like Walsh) but Adams sued the University and was instated. However in their decision today the NCAA did not impose any sanctions on Adams. The parallel in this situation is erie, and I would venture to say Maine penalized Walsh more harsh than UTPA, so it's not beyond possibility to suggest that the NCAA will not ban Walsh. I'm not sure what other sanctions the NCAA can impose on a coach aside from further suspension or banishment. So far in two recent decisions by this committee it's very intersting to see how they operate. In both cases the NCAA has opted for longer-probation periods to watch over the institutional control of these programs, both of whom had similar problems as Maine, but also involved some form of academic tampering or fraud. Today's decision seems to corraborate sources that tell me it's not a foregone conclusion that Walsh will be banned. There are some differences that make this significantly less of a black and white discussion. While Maine's violations parallel these institutions I'd be willing to suggest that Maine's violations outnumber New Mexico State and UTPA, but it's possible that Maine's lack of violations with regards to academics could make that a wash. This was not the first time UTPA has been sanctioned, and this is Maine's first trip.. something seemingly in Maine's favor, but could also be washed by the fact Maine is a powerhouse in a different sport, and they could be made to be the example. It's all very interesting, but I would not be surprised to see a decision within two weeks. --- Deron Treadwell - [log in to unmask] Orono, Maine