UNLV’s Harter: Overzealous boosters just aren’t welcome

Steve Addy

Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2000 | 10:32 a.m.

UNLV took responsibility for NCAA rules violations by self-penalizing its men's basketball program last week.

But that doesn't mean the Rebels are accepting all of the blame.

Though a series of minor violations led UNLV to place scholarship and recruiting limits on coach Bill Bayno's program, university president Dr. Carol Harter doesn't want the role of overzealous boosters to go unnoticed -- or unpunished.

"We have to make it clear that we do not appreciate our programs being tainted by booster activity," Harter said.

The most serious NCAA allegations against the program stem from cash and benefits given to 1997 recruit Lamar Odom by UNLV booster Dr. David Chapman.

Odom told the NCAA he got up to $5,600 in cash from Chapman, some while enrolled in a UNLV summer class. The university and Chapman agree that his support of Odom constituted a violation, but they contend it didn't begin until UNLV released Odom in July 1997.

It's up to the NCAA Committee on Infractions to determine whose account is truthful, and whether UNLV's self-imposed sanctions are sufficient for the violations uncovered in the yearlong investigation. That decision likely will come in the first week of November.

While Chapman's involvement doesn't explain the four violations committed by former Rebels assistant Greg Vetrone, Harter clearly believes the Chapman-Odom relationship sparked the full-scale NCAA inquiry.

"In my view, we have to do even more to ensure compliance, particularly where boosters are concerned," Harter said. "We have to make it clear that we do not appreciate our programs being tainted by booster activity. We've instituted all kinds of education programs and so forth (aimed at boosters and student-athletes). But obviously we still need to do more.

"Frankly, I may seek legislation in Nevada to bring some heavy penalties against boosters who taint our program. We're doing it with agents. We may have to do with boosters, too."

Another UNLV booster, attorney Steve Stein, was alleged to have given cash to Odom and two Rebels players. UNLV's official response said the charges had "the feel of credibility," but conflicting testimony left the school unable to determine if Stein acted improperly.

Chapman and Stein have been suspended as boosters during the case, and both are at risk of being permanently disassociated from the program.

"That's temporary until we hear the reaction of the Infractions Committee, then we'll reassess that to see if it should continue," Harter said.

Chapman declined comment Monday, but his attorney James Chrisman said Chapman shouldn't be banned, mainly because he cooperated fully with both sides in the investigation.

"Dr. Chapman could've sat back and said nothing, or he could've lied, but he didn't," Chrisman said. "He was completely above-board and honest about admitting something he did wrong. He spent a lot of money and time that he will never recover. And he opened himself up to further scrutiny by the press and everybody else, which he didn't deserve.

"It would set a bad precedent for UNLV to continue the disassociation of Dr. Chapman after how helpful he was in their investigation. It would send out a very negative message to any future targets of investigations -- not only at UNLV -- to not cooperate."

Though the NCAA's final word is six weeks away, UNLV tried to ease the sanctions Friday by imposing probation-like penalties against the program. At the start of a nine-hour hearing before the Committee on Infractions in Dallas, Harter announced these sanctions:

Though Bayno said Friday the penalties can be easily overcome on the court, he said Monday he wasn't being flippant about the significance or necessity of the punishment.

"These sanctions are obviously necessary," he said from an Eastern recruiting trip. "To me, that goes without saying. It will help us greatly from a compliance standpoint. But it doesn't kill our program, and I'm thankful for that. It is an honest, workable solution."

As long as the NCAA doesn't levy further reductions, the Rebels appear to have only four new scholarships to offer for 2001-02, though Bayno will seek clarification. The Rebels have received oral commitments from two players: junior college guard Marcus Banks, the ex-Cimarron-Memorial standout; and 6-foot-11 center Simplice Njoya from Cameroon.