Boren hints meeting results encouraging OU vs. NCAA Committee on Infractions Panel expected to reach decision today; official findings could be released in a month or two Boren hints meeting results encouraging
By George Schroeder
Published: April 15, 2007
INDIANAPOLIS — The question was familiar. But given the setting, it was somewhat unexpected.
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During a break Saturday morning, Brian Halloran wandered over to a small group of reporters and asked for the inside scoop: Who would win Oklahoma's quarterback battle?
Halloran, a member of the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, politely declined to return the favor and answer reporters' questions. But the brief exchange might be of some encouragement to OU officials, who met with the infractions committee for more than four hours behind closed doors.
Afterward, OU president David Boren said the school received "a fair chance” to answer charges of major rules violations involving football players' employment at Big Red Sports and Imports.
And Halloran's question might lend credence to Boren's contention that the infractions committee appreciated the impact of OU's quick action when it discovered three players were paid for work they did not perform. Rhett Bomar's dismissal last summer led to the current quarterback quandary.
"I think they have a good understanding of the harshness of the penalties,” Boren said.
OU, which uncovered and reported the violations to the NCAA, did not contest the allegation that Bomar, lineman J.D. Quinn and walk-on receiver Jermaine Hardison broke the rules. But the school disputed an additional allegation that it failed to adequately monitor the employment of football players at the Norman car dealership.
Although the infractions committee is expected to reach a decision today, its findings won't be known for a month, or perhaps two.
Boren declined to speculate on whether the committee might assess further penalties, but said he wasn't troubled by uncertainty.
"I can't imagine anything that could be done to us that would be tougher than what we've done to ourselves,” Boren said.
OU's official party, which numbered about a dozen, included coach Bob Stoops, athletic director Joe Castiglione and director of football operations Merv Johnson.
As he hurried down the hall afterward, Stoops declined comment. Boren was the only school official who spoke to reporters. But Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg, who also attended, said the hearing was "pretty straightforward,” without surprises.
In recent weeks, news reports have hinted there might have been more rules violations. But Weiberg and Boren said none surfaced Saturday.
"There were no new issues brought up (or) any kind of new discoveries or allegations made,” Boren agreed. "All the things that we already knew.”
Asked whether he was satisfied that OU and NCAA investigators had caught all violations that might have occurred at Big Red, Boren said:
"I think we did. I think so. Let me say this: It isn't for lack of trying to turn over every stone. We could not have been more vigorous in terms of trying to get every record and look at everything.”
Although Boren wouldn't give specifics, he said much of the time Saturday was spent focused on whether OU failed in monitoring, and said there were "hundreds of interchanges” between committee members and OU officials.
In its case summary, which was obtained by The Oklahoman through an open-records request, the NCAA's enforcement staff contends since so many players worked at Big Red, the dealership occupied "unique status” that merited closer inspection by OU's compliance staff.
In its response to the charges, also obtained through an open-records request, OU contended its monitoring system "met, if not exceeded, industry standards.” Saturday, Boren reiterated another point: Bomar, Quinn and Hardison knew the rules, but willfully broke them.
"It's very hard to devise any system that will catch deliberate violations,” Boren said.
As he did a year ago when OU appeared before the infractions committee to answer charges of rules violations involving men's basketball and gymnastics, Boren delivered OU's opening and closing statements on Saturday. In a likely hint as to his message to the infractions committee, Boren told reporters he was "frustrated because we do try so hard.”
"We not only want to have a program that's a clean program, but we want to have a program that's a role model,” Boren said.
When the final report is released, OU will have been found guilty of major rules violations for the seventh time; the football program for the sixth time. But Boren said he was proud of Stoops and Castiglione for what he called the unprompted, immediate decision to dismiss the players.
"That was just a moment where the leadership of our athletics program … made it very clear that our integrity came ahead of winning,” Boren said.
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What happens next?
•The Committee on Infractions will deliberate on OU's case during its meeting this weekend and will probably arrive at a resolution. But the process of preparing a final report of its findings is expected to take four to eight weeks.
•The final report will be released to OU and to the NCAA enforcement staff, and then news outlets will be notified the morning of the release of a public infractions report. The Committee on Infractions chairman will conduct a conference call with media to announce the results.
•OU could appeal any findings or penalties assessed by the committee. "Written notice of appeal must be submitted to the NCAA president” within 15 days of the public release.
By George Schroeder
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