NCAA officials: BYU-Hawaii gets 3 years of probation for failing to monitor athletics program

BYU-Hawaii on NCAA probation for athletics program

HONOLULU — Brigham Young University-Hawaii has been placed on three years probation by the NCAA for failing to monitor certain aspects of its athletics program, officials said Thursday.

University spokesman Michael Johanson said in a statement that officials have “no objection” to the decision.

The university “intends to follow all of the NCAA’s recommendations, and has already implemented changes to correct the areas identified in today’s decision,” Johanson added.

BYU-Hawaii failed to monitor its athletics program in four specific areas pertaining to student-athlete eligibility from the 2005-06 academic year through 2007-08, said the NCAA Division II Committee on Infractions.

For instance, the committee said it found the university didn’t apply a required rule when certifying that eight transfer student-athletes were eligible for competition. The eight participated in various sports — softball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s tennis.

In another case, the university allowed three student-athletes to practice, compete and receive travel expenses before receiving final amateurism certification from the NCAA Eligibility Center, the committee said.

NCAA rules require student-athletes to designate a program of studies by the beginning of the third year of enrollment. Enforcement staff identified four situations at BYU-Hawaii in which degree designation rules weren’t followed and school officials weren’t tracking compliance of the rule, the committee said.

The university also failed to monitor the completion of the NCAA general amateurism and eligibility forms for international and select students in tennis, NCAA officials said.

In addition to probation, which runs until Aug. 25, 2012, BYU-Hawaii received a public reprimand and censure, and is subject to a mandatory compliance review and annual compliance reports.