The NCAA's Committee on Infractions has banned the University of Central Florida from postseason play for one season in football and men's basketball because of major rule violations in both sports.
George Skene, AP
Former Central Florida athletic director Keith Tribble was found to have committed unethical conduct by the NCAA.
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Central Florida, which appeared before the infractions committee in April, also was fined $50,000 and placed on five years' probation. In addition, the university was cited for a lack of institutional control.
The school announced Tuesday afternoon that it would appeal the postseason ban for football.
"We don't believe the `aggravating factors' cited from the NCAA bylaws justify this sanction," UCF President John Hitt said in a statement released by the school.
At a news conference, Hitt noted that none of the football players the school recruited improperly ever wound up playing for the Knights.
Greg Sankey, the associate commissioner of the Southeastern Conference and infractions committee member, said the Central Florida case underscores the "ever-increasing problem in college sports" of outside third-party individuals being involved in recruiting.
UCF football spokesman Brian Ormiston declined comment on the sanctions and said the school will have a news conference at 3 p.m. ET to discuss the NCAA announcement.
At issue was the university's involvement with Ken Caldwell, a Chicago man with ties to a sports agency who helped steer several prospects to Central Florida. The report states that third-party individuals provided more than $16,000 to three prospects and two Central Florida student-athletes. They provided travel expenses, cash, tuition and a laptop computer.
Men's basketball coach Donnie Jones was charged with a failure to monitor compliance. Jones had already been suspended without pay for three conference games.
Jones, who remains at the university, was also given a three-year show-cause order starting with the 2012-2013 season, which requires him to attend rule seminars the next two years. He also is barred from off-campus recruiting during the July player evaluation periods in 2013.
The NCAA report notes, "A head coach is not required to investigate wrongdoing, but is expected to recognize potential NCAA violations, address them and report them to the athletics administration."
And former athletic director Keith Tribble and former assistant football coach David Kellywas found to have committed unethical conduct. Sankey said that because Tribble "accepted" the third-party individuals, that legitimized them in the eyes of coaches.
The University had already self-imposed sanctions that included vacating all wins in men's basketball during the past three seasons and cutting scholarships in football and men's basketball. Central Florida had also reduced the number of recruiting evaluation days for men's basketball and football.
Tribble and Kelly had resigned after they were accused of taking part in inappropriate recruiting practices. The NCAA imposed a three-year show cause penalty against Tribble. Kelly received a one-year show cause penalty.
This was not the university's first run-in with the NCAA in recent years. Central Florida had been placed on two years' probation in February 2010 after two non-coaching football staff members were found to have made impermissible telephone calls and text messages to prospects or their parents.
In football, Central Florida was expected to return 16 starters (eight on offense, eight on defense) from a team that finished 5-7 under coach George O'Leary in 2011. Six of the losses were by seven points or fewer. In a preseason poll of news media, the Knights were picked as favorites to win the East Division of Conference USA.
In basketball, the Knights are due to have four starters back — including their top three scorers — from a team that went 22-11, ending with a loss in the first round of the NIT.
The NCAA has a bylaw that allows players whose eligibility is elapsing and won't have another chance at postseason play to immediately transfer. Thus, UCF seniors on both teams can change schools and play right away.
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