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Friday, July 17, 1998
Tech fans anxiously await word from NCAA
By CHRIS NEWTON / Associated Press Writer
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) -- Life under the shadow of the NCAA's
sharpest ax can be nervewracking, stomach twisting and downright
exasperating for college sports fans whose school is tangled in
the web of alleged compliance violations.
Just ask Texas Tech fans anxiously awaiting word of whether
their school's self-imposed punishments are enough to convince
the NCAA not to impose its own sanctions for rampant errors in
academic certification and financial aid distribution.
"At this point I think everyone just wants a decision
made -- coaches, students, everybody," said fan Chris Toelle,
a senior marketing major at Texas Tech. "That way we can
at least know what we're dealing with. It's the not knowing that
really is making this tough."
Texas Tech has admitted to dozens of violations in almost every
sport, including allowing ineligible players to compete, paying
fees for long distance calls and doling out financial aid to too
many players.
When the NCAA infractions committee was given Texas Tech's
internal audit of violations on April 25, school officials and
others watching the case said they thought the collegiate sports
governing body would rule on the case by the end of May. But as
the NCAA investigation reaches its third month, fans are worried
that the news may not be good.
"What's taking them so darn long?" wondered Henry
Appelo, a 42-year-old Tech fan who regularly buys season football
tickets. "It can't be good news if they're having to take
all of this time with it."
The NCAA never comments on ongoing investigations and Texas
Tech lawyers also declined to comment on the issue.
But fans seem to agree that the longer the NCAA waits to announce
a verdict, the worse the verdict will probably be.
Blake Thompson, a senior public relations major at Texas Tech,
said he thinks the long wait means the NCAA is planning to "drop
the hammer" and send a message to the nation's other large
schools.
"What bothers me is, they're going to make an example
out of Tech but they would never bring big sanctions against Florida
State or Notre Dame," Thompson said. "This will just
be a good way to send those schools a message. That's not fair."
Because of Tech's self-imposed sanctions, football will lose
14 scholarships over the next two years, baseball will lose a
total of 7 1/2 through 2002 and the men's basketball team will
shrink from 13 scholarship players to 11 for the next three seasons.
Men's track and golf and women's basketball were hit with lighter
scholarship sanctions. All six sports, along with men's tennis
and women's volleyball, also forfeited every victory in which
an ineligible athlete participated.
Whether the NCAA imposes penalties or not, the school has already
suffered even greater hardship than the self-imposed sanctions
because of the uncertainty, Toelle said.
"I don't care what the recruiters say, no one wants to
come to a school that you can't be sure is even going to be on
television," he said. "I'm sure all of our teams will
be subpar this year."
Thompson says the possibility of major sanctions couldn't have
come at a worse time. Texas Tech has been thrust into a brighter
national spotlight since helping to form the Big 12, formerly
the Big 8, in 1997. If the sports programs have to operate under
major penalties, Thompson said he's afraid that will mean embarrassing
losses to Big 12 powerhouses like Nebraska and Kansas St.
"Tech needed to come out and have a strong year,"
Thomspon said. "They've got an easy schedule but who knows
how the team will do. And the future could be worse if we get
penalized."
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