NCAA puts Colorado's football team on probation

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado's football team was placed on two years' probation by the NCAA on Tuesday for recruiting violations, most of which occurred under former coach Rick Neuheisel.

The NCAA cut the school's football scholarships and accepted Colorado's self-imposed recruiting limits, including reducing the number of visits by recruits.

Neuheisel, now head coach at Washington, was barred from off-campus recruiting for the Huskies until May 31.

Colorado was not banned from television or bowl appearances but must reduce the number of new scholarships it offers from 25 to 20 in either the 2003-04 or 2004-05 academic year.

NCAA institutions are allowed 56 expense-paid campus visits by recruits each academic year, but Colorado voluntarily reduced its number to 51 this year and will be limited to 51 next year.

In addition, the number of coaches who can recruit off-campus at any one time must be reduced from seven to six through July 31.

The football program was accused of 53 violations, 51 of them when Neuheisel was Colorado's head coach (1995-98). Many involved improper contacts with recruits.

"I want to stress that at no time did I intend to break NCAA regulations, and I never suggested to my staff we operate outside those rules," Neuheisel said in a statement. "I never deceived anyone, nor was I dishonest.

"While being creative in approach, I felt that I was operating within the letter of those rules. It was my mistake to make those judgments without consulting the proper sources at my disposal as a head coach."

The NCAA's infractions committee ruled that Colorado didn't properly monitor its football staff.

"This was a serious case in which a football coaching staff ... pushed beyond the permissible bounds of legislation, resulting in a pattern of recruiting violations," the committee's ruling said.

During a hearing in August, Neuheisel told the committee he and his staff had accidental encounters with prospects on high school campuses but did not gain any recruiting advantage.

However, committee chairman Tom Yeager noted that of the 26 prospective athletes involved, seven eventually enrolled at Colorado.

"There was a recruiting advantage," Yeager said. "And in most instances, these seven athletes were among the top recruits in their respective classes. In the end, the institution benefited."

Other alleged violations included letting recruits keep apparel, improper use of private aircraft and excessive compensation to recruits ranging from $3.20 to $36.76.

Neuheisel said he believed the NCAA used this case to send a message about so-called "bumps," or inadvertent contacts between coaches and recruits.

"The committee's obvious message is that these bumps should no longer be a part of the college football culture," he said.

Gary Barnett, Neuheisel's successor at Colorado, had told the committee that any penalties should follow Neuheisel.

The committee ruled that both Colorado and Neuheisel were at fault, but Yeager said Neuheisel's penalty was meaningful.

"When the head coach of any sport is restricted in the off-campus recruiting process, that is a significant restriction in recruiting," Yeager said.

Colorado athletic director Dick Tharp said the university accepts responsibility because it hired Neuheisel and his staff.

"I'm upset that Gary has to deal with it. But we will manage our way through it. We will continue to upgrade our compliance efforts, and we will not have to deal with these issues in the future."

Colorado still can have the maximum of 85 players on scholarship.

Barnett called the impact of the penalties minimal and said he was relieved it wasn't worse.

"If there is any damage, it's more or less a hardship on us as coaches, rather than any damage to the institution or to our program," he said.

Barnett said coaches would write recruits and tell them not to worry.

"To our (current) players and our program, there really are no penalties. They won't notice one bit of difference," he said.