UNLV imposes own sanctions ahead of NCAA

Steve Addy

Friday, Sept. 22, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

DALLAS -- Trying to spare itself the full wrath of the NCAA's punitive powers, UNLV imposed its own probation-like penalties on the men's basketball program Friday.

At the outset of a nine-hour marathon hearing before the NCAA Committee on Infractions, the Rebels essentially plea-bargained their case by sanctioning coach Bill Bayno's program as a good-faith offering to the NCAA.

UNLV President Dr. Carol C. Harter, who made the university's opening and closing statements, said the measures were taken in an effort to show that UNLV is serious about NCAA rules compliance. The university previously admitted to a series of secondary violations.

Eighteen months after the NCAA began looking into improper benefits given by a booster to 1997 recruit Lamar Odom, UNLV imposed the following sanctions:

The university's sanctions made no mention of probation, though the eight-member Committee on Infractions could levy that penalty in early November after six weeks of deliberation. Otherwise, UNLV hopes that no more significant penalties will be meted out.

In enforcement cases, the NCAA routinely is more lenient when a university self-imposes penalties. The sanctions were devised by UNLV lead attorney Michael Glazier, the former NCAA lawyer who regularly defends universities against NCAA allegations.

"(The self-sanctions) were to make (the NCAA) understand we take this very seriously, that we know violations were committed and that it's appropriate for us to have some sanctions," Harter said. "We tried to match them to the level of violations the best we could."

Athletic director Charlie Cavagnaro said, "We feel (the sanctions) are called for in this case. In similar cases, these are the kinds of actions that schools have taken -- the kind of actions that are expected of a member institution. We think the actions will go a long way toward making sure we don't have repeats of these violations."

Bayno, somewhat weary after the daylong meeting, said he felt he felt his program could overcome the sanctions.

"I don't think it really directly affects us," he said. "Two scholarships over two years ... I mean, right now we probably have too many players. We've got guys on the team who don't play. I only play a rotation of eight. Considering all things, this is a positive.

"We just hope that the committee will look at this and not take it any further."

Committee members refused comment. The NCAA prohibits them from discussing an ongoing case. The media was not allowed into the hearing.

However, it was clear that UNLV's sanctions eased any confrontational tone at the meeting, though it lasted 3 1/2 hours in the morning and 5 1/2 more in the afternoon.

"I think the committee was great today. I think they were fair, and I think they will be fair," Bayno said. "I had talked to some of my coaching brethren who told me otherwise, but that absolutely wasn't the case. I thought we all walked away with a very positive feeling, and that was given to us by the committee."

Cavagnaro said, "The hearing was very thorough. We had ample opportunity to present our case and we felt we were well-received. I think the committee had read all of the material and had a really good sense of it."

Among Friday's topics, the university and Bayno contested the NCAA allegation that Bayno didn't properly monitor his program for violations regarding the Odom-Chapman relationship. Steve Owens, Bayno's university-appointed attorney, directed that aspect of the case.

Also, Rebels player Chris Richardson had to answer allegations that he lied to NCAA investigators about a free bed arranged by former Rebels assistant Greg Vetrone.

"I can't tell you what the committee believed or didn't believe, but under the circumstances, Chris did as well as I could have hoped," his attorney Daniel Albregts said. "He tried to answer all of the questions straightforward, and explain what he was going through at the times of the interviews and address any concerns the committee had.

"Now all we can do is wait."

Albregts said the committee gave the broadest range of possible penalties against Richardson, from the loss of all eligibility to nothing more than having sat out UNLV's NCAA tournament loss to Tulsa last March because of the charge.

The foremost topic was the violations stemming from the relationship between Odom and Rebels booster Dr. David Chapman.

UNLV and Chapman agree that he violated NCAA rules by giving cash, housing and various benefits to Odom in 1997, but the university claimed the support wasn't given while Odom was a student at UNLV. In prior testimony, Odom said he began getting cash ($5,600 total) from Chapman almost immediately after arriving in Las Vegas in July 1997 as the nation's No. 1 high school recruit.

Neither Chapman nor Odom attended. Neither was asked to appear, though Chapman told the NCAA he would be happy to testify in person, his attorney James Chrisman told the Sun.

Odom refused to be interviewed by UNLV investigators. In fact, the case was delayed for a month in the spring so that the university could make one last attempt to question him. Those efforts failed, as Odom's representatives said he stood by his testimony to the NCAA.

Aside from UNLV's limited admission of guilt regarding Chapman and Odom, it didn't contest many of the lesser allegations, including four violations involving Vetrone. He sent Odom a free gym bag, acquired free beds for two UNLV players, gave former Rebels player Desmond Herod rides to work, and made improper phone contact with Odom.

Steve Addy covers college basketball for the Las Vegas Sun. Reach him at 259-4087 or by e-mail at addy@lasvegassun.com.