On average, the University of Hawaii has self-reported suspected violations of NCAA rules to the association once a month since January 2012, according to school records.

Most were judged to be minor, incidental or technical violations of the bylaws contained in the NCAA’s 417-page Division I Manual, according to information obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser under the state’s open records law.

The documents were requested in the wake of the NCAA’s ongoing investigation into the men’s basketball program, an inquiry that began after UH said it notified the NCAA online that "a men’s basketball coach submitted an altered document that was essential for admissions purposes."

The document in question is said to have been a certified bank document to which a larger number was added and then submitted to UH.

That incident, listed as Jan. 9, according to documents, has apparently precipitated a wider inquiry that so far has spanned three months and two island visits by a member of the NCAA enforcement staff, UH officials said.

Athletic director Ben Jay said he has been told UH could receive a letter of allegations from the NCAA "in the next two or three weeks."

The NCAA has refused comment on its investigation.

The case is one of six UH listed as "ongoing," half of them involving men’s basketball.

Most of UH’s 29 self-reported cases in the Jan. 1, 2012-May 2014 period, however, have been dealt with swiftly, involved admonitions, re-education, minor penalties or restitution and have not been publicly announced, records indicate.

Six letters of admonition and one reprimand, four involving men’s basketball, have been issued. The NCAA has mandated additional "rules education" for coaches or staff 12 times, half involving men’s basketball.

In other instances, UH was fined $1,500 and twice teams were stripped of recruiting days. The football team was docked two practice days because it did not afford its players a mandatory day off.

In other cases, players, prospective recruits or coaches were required to make restitution in amounts varying from $20.20 to $641.45. The latter involved a player who was not authorized to use the athletic department’s Federal Express account and sent his belongings home after the season.

In 2013 when UH hosted a football weekend recruiting visit, one of the prospects, who was originally from Hawaii, skipped the event and stayed beyond the allowable 48 hours to be with his girlfriend. UH was not held responsible and dropped the prospect.

Jay in particular and UH compliance officials in general have come under fire from some fans for initially reporting the altered document to the Big West Conference office and the NCAA instead of sitting on it.

But Jay said, "contrary, to how some people in this community feel, once you learn about (a violation), you are obligated to report it."

Under NCAA Bylaw 19.2.2 — member responsibility to report noncompliance — "Each institution has an affirmative obligation to report all instances of noncompliance to the association in a timely manner," the NCAA manual says.

Big West Conference Commissioner Dennis Farrell said "that’s the rule and the constant message that we send out to our members is to encourage self-reporting of suspected violations."

Farrell said self-reporting demonstrates "institutional control and shows that you are monitoring your program."

NCAA bylaws also note, "Exemplary cooperation by an institution or involved individual may constitute a mitigating factor for purposes of determining a penalty for a violation."

Farrell said the number of incidents reported to the NCAA by UH, 29 over as many months "is not out of whack, depending on the severity, of course. The NCAA rule book is thick and can be confusing and, sometimes, they are just technical violations."

By way of comparison, Oklahoma said it reported 46 potential violations in an 18-month period, according to a report in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Utah has acknowledged reporting 99 incidents in a four-year period, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Farrell said, "I worry, sometimes, more about the schools that don’t file a lot of reports, the ones that report just one or two a year. (It is like) you’re telling me you have 14 to 20 sports teams and that’s all the violations you are committing? That’s hard to believe."

INCIDENTS OF SELF-REPORTING
Prospective violations of NCAA rules UH says it has self-reported since Jan. 1, 2012.

2012

Jan. 24

Violation: Assistant swim coach spoke to prospect who had signed a National Letter of Intent to attend another institution but then changed her mind and wanted to attend UH. Although coach said it was not permissible to speak with the athlete, coach asked prospect to text her swim times. 

Resolution: NLI rules education was provided to coaches. Letter of admonishment was issued to coaching staff.

March 6 and 29

Violation: Men’s basketball athlete used athletic department’s FedEx account to send his belongings home after the season. 

Resolution: Rules education was provided to coaches and staff. A sign by the packing slips will be placed stating that athletes are not allowed to use the service. Athlete repaid the value of the benefit ($641.45).

March 9

Violation: Director of basketball operations was seen coaching during the WAC championships. 

Resolution: Rules education was given to incoming director of basketball operations.

April 7

Violation: Football coach organized a "social hour" to develop a relationship with high school coaches. Refreshments were served, which constituted a violation. 

Resolution: Letter of admonishment was issued. Violation was noted in the monthly coaches’ newsletter. Athletes were declared ineligible until high school coaches paid restitution to a charity.

April 20

Violation: Men’s basketball coaching staff allowed two prospects to participate in an on-campus evaluation prior to completing mandatory forms. A mandatory current physical examination was missing from paperwork that was eventually submitted. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered to coaches. Letter of admonishment was issued to coaches who were involved.

April 21

Violation: During spring football game two prospects approached coach, who introduced them to the team. Game was during an evaluation period. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered to coaching staff. Contact was counted as one of the permissible contacts for both prospects. Athlete reinstatement will need to be sought.

May 4

Violation: Two men’s basketball coaches took prospect to dinner the night before his official visit was due to start, thus going over the 48-hour limit. 

Resolution: Prospect was declared ineligible until restitution of $20.20 was paid. Rules education was administered to staff. Violation was noted in the monthly coaches’ newsletter.

June 11

Violation: Six football coaches impermissibly allowed friends and relatives to attend football camp free. 

Resolution: Camp/clinic approval procedure is in the process of being reviewed and online approvals will be sought by pertinent parties within the department. A "reduced fee/free" rate form has been used for all camps since.

Aug. 11

Violation: Softball booster used "Tout" to post a video, which contained prospects who were participating in softball camp. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered to booster. Education regarding this violation was presented at a booster club president’s meeting. Head coach spoke to the booster about keeping coach updated on social media technology and also obtaining compliance pre-approval.

Aug. 13

Violation: Men’s volleyball prospect visited coaches offices prior to receiving permission to contact. Coaches told athlete to get permission prior to speaking to them. Athlete got paperwork from former school, completed it and faxed it from UH. Coaches had no knowledge of athlete doing this. 

Resolution: Athlete was ineligible until he paid restitution. Facilities office was also notified and reminded their student help that only staff is allowed to use fax machine.

Oct. 1

Violation: Women’s golf coach hosted an official visit. Prospect brought her sister along after her father changed plans on short notice. Coach thought that she could pay for sister’s meals. 

Resolution: Prospect was declared ineligible after sister paid restitution to charity. Rules education was administered. Violation was noted in monthly coaches’ newsletter.

Oct. 21-27

Violation: Football team practiced 20 hours but team wasn’t afforded the mandatory one day off for week.

Resolution: Team took two days off the following week.

Nov. 10

Violation: Swimming prospect missed flight after official visit. A member of the coaching staff took prospect to the beach where the rest of the team was while waiting for another flight about five hours later. 

Resolution: Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Athlete was declared ineligible.

2013

Jan. 2

Violation: Women’s basketball prospect left message for coaching staff to ask for tickets for an away game. Staff member called back stating that tickets could not be left as it was against NCAA regulations. Phone call constituted the violation because prospect was a junior. 

Resolution: Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Phone calls to prospects were impermissible for two weeks after the first permissible time period to call. Letter of admonishment was issued to coach involved.

Jan. 10

Violation: Swimmer was inadvertently marked as eligible when she did not receive her AA degree. 

Resolution: Letters of admonishment were given to administrative staff responsible for determining eligibility. Athlete was declared eligible after obtaining AA degree. Institution paid $1,500 fine.

Jan. 25

Violation: Football coaches hosted a weekend of official visits. One prospect, who was originally from Hawaii, failed to join in any of the visit’s officially planned events. Coaches located athlete, who was with his girlfriend, and told him that he was no longer welcome on the official visit and they booked his flight home prior to the 48 hours expiring. Athlete did not get on the flight and stayed in Hawaii, thus visit went over 48 hours. 

Resolution: Coaches did everything possible to avoid a violation. Athlete no longer being recruited.

March 1

Violation: Baseball coach placed two calls to prospect during a dead period. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered. Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Prospect was declared ineligible but was successfully reinstated. Baseball coaching staff was precluded from contacting prospect for a period of two weeks.

April

Violation: Men’s basketball coach was interviewed during the ‘lolani Classic and interview aired on a booster webcast, which was impermissible as media can’t be present during recruiting contact. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered. Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Letter of reprimand was issued, a similarly written letter to media. Two days deducted from total number of 2013-14 recruiting days.

April 1

Violation: Men’s basketball coaches went off campus recruiting during a quiet period. 

Resolution: Rules education was administered. Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Reminder at coaches meeting that coaches need to double-check recruiting calendars. Letter of admonishment was issued.

April 5 and 6

Violation: Assistant soccer coach texted a prospect after prospect had signed National Letter of Intent. Coach mistakenly thought that texting was OK if prospect signed. 

Resolution: Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter.

April 19

Violation: Men’s basketball coaching staff held an on-campus evaluation of prospect when prospect was in his first year of JC. 

Resolution: Rules education was provided to coaches. Violation was printed in monthly coaches’ newsletter. Letter of admonishment was issued.

May 15

Violation: Men’s basketball coaching staff observed players participating in voluntary open gym. Resolution: Ongoing

July 9

Violation: Soccer coach emailed a prospect’s family member regarding an unofficial visit. Coach thought prospect was entering her junior year, but in fact was only entering her sophomore year. 

Resolution: Ongoing.

July 12

Violation: Track athlete left institution to return home to take care of family matter, but left the possibility of returning at a later date. After a year, athlete got back in touch with coach to re-join the team. Coach welcomed athlete back to the team. During eligibility checks, it was noted that athlete had enrolled full-time at an institution in her home state. Our institution did not receive permission to contact. 

Resolution: Determined not to be a violation. 

Oct. 25

Violation: Men’s basketball coaches allowed a prospect who was serving a year in residence to receive expenses while team traveled to the North Shore to play a scrimmage. Resolution: Ongoing:

Nov. 14

Violation: Baseball coach called prospect multiple times during a dead period, requesting information for his National Letter of Intent. 

Resolution: Ongoing.

2014

Jan. 9

Violation: A men’s basketball coach submitted an altered a document that was essential for admissions purposes. 

Resolution: Ongoing.

Jan. 17

Violation: Men’s basketball player allowed a t-shirt to be printed with his likeness as he thought it was just his name that couldn’t be printed. Athlete allowed a photograph to be taken and photograph was posted on social media stating that the t-shirt was going to be for sale. 

Resolution: Athlete was declared ineligible but later reinstated. Rules education was administered to athlete and coaches.

April 15

Violation: Women’s basketball coaches allowed a prospect to come on campus for an unofficial visit during a dead period. 

Resolution: Ongoing.

Source: University of Hawaii