With Professional Basketball or Agents Players Attest Contracts Were Not Signed A continuing NCAA investigation into Still Underway documents at the site of an ABA meeting “It should be made perfectly clear that allegations that professional basketball “Our investigation has not been com- apparently signed by student-athletes, but the NCAA has no ‘deal’ or agreement with contracts have been signed by certain se- pleted. It began before the rumors became whether they saw valid documents is the any professional organization which pro- nior basketball players currently compet- public and is continuing. With play in the question. hibits a college player from signing before ing for member institutions has failed to National Collegiate Basketball Champion- The two, Bill Brill. sports editor of the his college class graduates,” Byers stated. develop the necessary evidence to warrant ship beginning March 13, we felt a state- Roanoke (Va.) Times, and Frank Barrows “However, most professional organizations any action. ment concerning the status of our inquiry have found it to their own benefit to es- To the contrary, the seven players in- of the Charlotte Observer, have reported was in order.” to the NCAA they saw documents which tablish such controls over their member terviewed, following reports that the clubs.” The investigation is being conducted by appeared to be an agreement between the American Basketball Association had a Warren S. Brown, assistant executive di- Ineligible number of players under League or team ABA and college player Howard Yorter of rector of the NCAA, and James H. Wilkin- NCAA rules provide that any player who contracts, have signed all-inclusive, no- Villanova. Barrow saw a similar document son of the NCAA staff. has entered into any agreement to become tarized affidavits attesting that they have apparently bearing the signature of Jim a professional, or has made any agreement not signed any such contract or entered Brown said he interviewed ABA Com- McDaniels of Western Kentucky. Rumors to be represented by an agent in the mar- into any comparable commitment, NCAA missioner Jack Dolph. of early signings have drawn in the names keting of his athletic talents, becomes im- Executive Director Walter Byers an- “Dolph was partially co-operative,” of other top senior players. mediately ineligible. nounced. Brown said. “He was cordial. I don’t think The documents were found in a briefcase “This represents the most direct and he provided all of the information he could in a hotel room in Greensboro, N.C., after Should a signee continue to play, with consistent evidence we have,” Byers said. have.” an ABA meeting January 22. Byers said the evidence discovered later, then his “We accept the testimony of the students Byers made it clear he did not doubt the Barrows made notes from the documents team might be subject to forfeiture of all involved. two newspapermen who reported they saw and put them back into the briefcase. Continued on page 2 VOL. 8 l NO. 4 MARCH 15, 1971 z i NCAA Financial Aid Committee i zs - Revises, Expands Report 9 The NCAA Financial Aid Re- meeting,” Flynn said, “that a good port, the plan which would base number of students take more all athletic financial aid on need than four years to graduate, so and would limit the number of we made this ruling for hardship football and basketball grants, cases instead of adopting an arbi- was revised and expanded after trary four-year rule. the lo-member Committee met The Committee left the num- with representatives from four bet of basketball grants at six and NCAA-affiliated coaches associa- the “banking” figure at two, and tions at its first post-Convention voted to allow two live-year stu- meeting February 28-March 2 in dents per year.” Bill Sims, Kansas City Star sportswriter and past-president of the U.S. Denver. Another Revision Basketball Writers Association, drew the names out of the cup in the “We had a very fruitful meet- The formula also was revised NCAA’s Kansas City Executive Office to match prospective teams in ing with the coaches,” said Wil- for an institution where freshmen liam J. Flynn, immediate Past are eligible. first-round competition for the Notional Collegiate Basketball Cham- NCAA secretary-treasurer and In football, the number of grants pionship. Assisting him is Miss Barbara McPherson of the NCAA Staff. chairman of the Committee. “The which could be issued by such an coaches were extremely helpful. institution would be 25, with sev- There is no question that we had en allowed for banking, and five a good exchange of ideas.” for “red-shirt” students. Sixteen UD Teams Set,for Coaches present at the meeting For basketball, the number of were Eddie Crowder (Colorado), grants at these institutions was representing the American Foot- Eddie Crowder reduced to five, while banking NCAA Regional Tourneys ball Coaches Association; William Colorado football coach consultant to and five-year figures remained Fifteen teams will set out to do what no team has done in the Past L. Wall (MacMurray College), financiol Aid Committee the same. the National Association of Bas- The Committee also proposed seven seasons this weekend - beat the UCLA Bruins in the NCAA ketball Coaches; Ted Bredehoft The major change in the report to add to the report a limit on Basketball Tournament (Arizona State), the National came in the “numbers” section of the number of coaches an institu- The field begins competition at four regional sites March 18-20, Wrestling Coaches Association; the three-part plan. tion may employ, and voted to with the finals set for Houston March 25-27. and J. A. Tomlinson (Arkansas Originally, the plan called for develop limitation of grants in The Bruins have won every game they have played in the tourna- the limiting of grants to 30 and 6 State), the American Association other sports. ment since 1964, with their winning streak now at 24 games. That in football and basketball respec- of College Baseball Coaches. The limitation on coaches would has meant six tournament victories in the past seven years - 1966 tively on an annual basis, subject vary in University and College Named Coaches being the only season they failed to capture the championship trophy, to “banking” privileges, which Division I and II in all sports, The NCAA Officers appointed would have allowed an institution while the figure also would vary after they failed to win the Pacific-8 Championship. the coaches to the Committee as to carry over five of its grants in where freshmen were eligible for Seven teams automatically qualify for the regional tournaments as non-voting consultants, after the sport of football and two in varsity competition. a member of one of seven conferences. each coaches’ association nomi- basketball. The NCAA Executive Office was They include: nated two candidates. However. the Committee de- assigned to research the limitation East, South Carolina (Atlantic Coast Conference); Mideast, Ken- Crowder and Wall were picked cided to revise the “numbers” of grants in other sports. The As- tucky (Southeastern) and Ohio State (Big Ten); Midwest, Drake from nominees recommended by section and extend it to other sociation will study conferences (Missouri Valley) and Kansas (Big Eight). the football and basketball coaches sports. as well as to expand other which already have limitations, groups, while Tomlinson and Bre- sections of the report. and then will send the figures to Meanwhile, nine other winners of first-round tournament games dehoft were selected from the re- The Committee retained the the various coaches associations also qualify for the regionals. maining 26 nominees from all oth- limiting numbers of 30 and 6 to get their reactions. Eight conferences automatically qualified teams for the just com- er affiliated coaches’ organizations. for football and basketball, but In other additions to the report. pleted first round. This year the teams included: “We now have to wait until we changed the “banking” figures. the Committee voted in favor of East-Pennsylvania (26-O regular season), from the Ivy League; receive reaction from the various The report now calls for 10 carry- the one-year scholarship rule and St. Joseph’s (19-B), Middle Atlantic Conference; and Furman (15-ll), over scholarships in football, as coaches associations on our new assigned Committee member John Southern. findings,” Flynn said. The Com- opposed to five in the previous re- Sawyer of Wake Forest to look MideastWestern Kentucky (20-5), Ohio Valley; Miami of Ohio mittee will consider the feedback port. The plan also now calls for into establishing a conference let- (20-g)) Mid-American. from the groups at its next meet- a limit of 10 five-year, “red-shirt” ter of intent signing date - the ing-May 15-16 in Kansas City, student grants. earliest date when a conference Midwest-Texas Christian (15-ll), Southwest. MO. “The point was made at the or institution could sign athletes. West-Brigham Young (18-g), Western Athletic; and Weber St. It also assigned immediate (21-5), Big Sky. * * * * past NCAA President Harry M. Ten at-large teams were selected to first round berths by the Univer- Cross to check the counting of sity Division Basketball Tournament Committee. The New Limitations grants for athletes who participate They included: (Number of grants allowed in old formula in parentheses) in more than one sport, should EastDuquesne (21-3), Villanova (23-6) and Fordham (24-2) ; Football Basketball other sports he added to Ihe Fi- Mideast-Jacksonville (22-3), and Marquette (26-O); nancial Aid plan. Total grants per year 30 (30) Midwest-Notre Dame (19-7), New Mexico State (19-7), and Hous- 6 (6) Michigan faculty representative ton (20-6) ; Grants to “bank” 10 (5) 2 (2) Marcus L.