Last modified: Friday, February 15, 2008
IU announces accelerated timetable on investigation of men’s basketball coach
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb. 15, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University President Michael McRobbie announced today (Feb. 15) that the university will launch an immediate investigation into new NCAA allegations against men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson.
McRobbie directed that Athletics Director Rick Greenspan oversee an assessment as to whether allegations of potentially "major" recruiting violations raised against Sampson are "credible and accurate."
Greenspan will have until next Friday (Feb. 22) to complete the investigation and report back to McRobbie with a recommendation on what further action should be taken.
He will be assisted by Vice President and General Counsel Dorothy Frapwell and Bruce Jaffee, professor of business economics and public policy and faculty representative on the Athletics Committee. They will be further assisted by outside legal counsel from the firm of Ice Miller.
"I am deeply disappointed by these allegations -- and I share that disappointment with all who love and support Indiana University," McRobbie said at a press conference today in Bloomington. "I fully understand the desire by many people for us to move quickly in bringing this situation to resolution. And, we intend to do just that."
Greenspan said that he welcomes this development and will complete the assignment within the designated time frame.
"I am confident that President McRobbie has established a procedure that will lead to a fair and proper resolution of these charges. This will be a thorough, focused and professional examination of the key issues," said Greenspan.
The NCAA has given IU until May 8 to file a formal written response to the NCAA allegations. The NCAA's Committee on Infractions will consider the responses during its June 14 meeting in Seattle and then decide if the allegations are substantiated and if penalties should be imposed beyond those that the university imposed on itself in October.
Here is the full text of McRobbie's statement:
Thank you for coming here today.
I have a brief statement regarding the allegations brought by the NCAA against our men's basketball coach.
Afterward, I will take a few questions, but I do not intend to engage in speculation or respond to hypothetical questions.
First, let me say, I am deeply disappointed by these allegations -- and I share that disappointment with all those who love and support Indiana University. I fully understand the desire by many people for us to move quickly to bring this situation to resolution.
And, we intend to do just that.
Over the past week, I have carefully examined all of the allegations contained in the NCAA's report. I have discussed them in great detail with Athletics Director Rick Greenspan, our vice president and general counsel, Dorothy Frapwell, and others. I am grateful for their input and advice.
Let there be no doubt. These are serious allegations of misconduct.
As president, I believe the most important measure of our success in intercollegiate athletics is not in the win-loss columns.
Rather, it is in how well we measure up to our own high standards for good sportsmanship, academic success, the welfare of our student-athletes, and playing by the rules.
It is my responsibility to take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that our men's basketball program lives up to the high level of integrity that has always been its hallmark, and I am determined to do just that.
Therefore, today I am announcing that I have directed the athletics director to oversee an immediate investigation of these new allegations and make an assessment as to whether they are credible and accurate.
I have given him seven days as of now to complete this task.
At my direction, the athletics director will be assisted by Dr. Bruce Jaffee, professor of business economics and public policy and faculty representative on the Athletics Committee, and also by Vice President Dorothy Frapwell. They will be further assisted by outside legal counsel from the firm of Ice Miller.
In making this decision, I have attempted to balance our desire for a swift and prompt resolution of this situation with the equally important need for fairness and due process.
When this investigation is completed, the athletics director will use the findings to guide him in making a recommendation to me as to what our next steps will be.
I want to make it clear that all of us are going into this with no presumptions. I do not know what conclusions the investigators will come to regarding these new allegations.
In closing, I would like to note that we have arrived at this painful situation because the athletics director and his compliance staff did their job. They diligently monitored recruiting operations within the men's basketball program and quickly and fully reported the irregularities they found. The system Indiana University has established for enforcing compliance worked, and I take confidence in that.
We must now move on to the next step of resolving these allegations against our men's basketball program.
That concludes my statement, and I will now take a few questions.
