The NCAA has penalized eight teams from
the University of Richmond, including the men's and women's basketball squads,
and the football team, due to impermissible recruiting text messages and
telephone calls to prospective student-athletes.
The NCAA's Committee on Infractions said the school failed to monitor its
athletics program and the head men's and women's basketball coaches did not
promote an atmosphere of compliance.
According to the NCAA, the case involved 516 impermissible text messages and
83 impermissible phone calls to 17 total prospective student-athletes and
parents. Penalties in the case included two years probation and multiple
recruiting restrictions.
The violations were largely in part from the basketball programs. The NCAA
said between August 24 and November 1, 2007 members of the men's basketball
staff sent 129 impermissible text messages to five prospective student-
athletes and one parent of a prospective student-athlete. During a time period
of September 2007 - January 2008, members of the women's basketball staff sent
368 impermissible text messages to four prospective student-athletes and one
parent of two prospective student-athletes.
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