NCAA Announces Negotiated Resolution with Texas A&M Athletics
On August 20, 2021 the NCAA announced the completion of a negotiated resolution process (https://ncaaorg.s3.amazonaws.com/infractions/decisions/Aug2021D1INF_TexasAMAPPROVEDPublicNR.pdf) with the university related to four isolated violation in the Aggie men’s basketball program between April 2019 and June 2020.
The university and the NCAA imposed the following penalties as a result of these violations:
The head coach and involved assistant men’s basketball coach did not have any prior Level I, Level II or any other major violations. The NCAA noted the institution, head coach and assistant coach had prompt acknowledgement of the violations, accepted responsibility and took meaningful corrective measures and penalties. Texas A&M Athletics is committed to abiding by NCAA rules and regulations. None of the penalties resulting from the violation will have any negative effect on the experience of our men’s basketball student-athletes, and the men’s basketball program remains eligible for the NCAA post-season. The future is bright for Aggie Men’s Basketball.
- The head men’s basketball coach allowed six non-coaching men’s basketball staff members to participate in on-court basketball activities and engage in technical or tactical basketball instruction, thus resulting in the men’s basketball program exceeding NCAA limits on countable men’s basketball coaches by three.
- Impermissible recruiting activities:
- The head men’s basketball coach had contact with a prospect during an evaluation period;
- An assistant men’s basketball coach impermissibly observed an unofficially visiting prospect who was participating in an open gym; and
- An assistant men’s basketball coach conducted two impermissible basketball tryouts with an unofficially visiting prospect and arranged a non-coaching men’s basketball staff member to participate in those two tryouts.
- Impermissible recruiting activities, countable athletically related activities and personnel activities:
- In May and June 2020 on approximately 24 occasions, an assistant men’s basketball coach conducted and supervised off-campus workouts with a then-men's basketball prospective student-athlete (i.e., tryout violations for the prospect) and several men's basketball student-athletes in many of the workouts even though the activities were prohibited due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
- During the impermissible workouts from May and June 2020, the assistant men’s basketball coach also arranged for non-coaching men’s basketball staff members to participate in the on-court activities when they supervised and conducted workouts with the involved prospect and the men's basketball student-athletes, resulting in the men’s basketball program exceeded the limits on countable men’s basketball coaches by four.
- The head men’s basketball coach violated NCAA head coach responsibility rules when he did not promote an atmosphere of compliance because of his personal involvement in the violations and because he did not monitor his staff.
The university and the NCAA imposed the following penalties as a result of these violations:
- Two years of probation, ending June 30, 2023;
- A $5,000 fine paid to the NCAA;
- Recruiting restrictions:
- A reduction in men's basketball official visits for the 2021-22 academic year by five;
- No unofficial visits for the first three Southeastern Conference home men's basketball games during the 2021-22 academic year;
- The institution shall have no recruiting communication for three weeks to begin at either the end of the upcoming dead period or the beginning of the fall of 2021 recruiting period; and
- A reduction in men's basketball recruiting days by 5% (i.e., 7 days) during the 2021-22 academic year;
- A two-game suspension (during the regular season) for the head men’s basketball coach for the 2021-22 men’s basketball season;
- Public reprimand and censure through the release of the negotiated resolution agreement;
- The institution shall issue a letter of reprimand to the special assistant to the head men’s basketball coach; and
- The institution shall issue a letter of reprimand to the involved assistant men’s basketball coach for his knowledge of violations.
The head coach and involved assistant men’s basketball coach did not have any prior Level I, Level II or any other major violations. The NCAA noted the institution, head coach and assistant coach had prompt acknowledgement of the violations, accepted responsibility and took meaningful corrective measures and penalties. Texas A&M Athletics is committed to abiding by NCAA rules and regulations. None of the penalties resulting from the violation will have any negative effect on the experience of our men’s basketball student-athletes, and the men’s basketball program remains eligible for the NCAA post-season. The future is bright for Aggie Men’s Basketball.
