SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The NCAA has decided to put the University of San Francisco on probation for two years after more than a dozen athletes spent more than $13,000 in scholarship money to improperly buy textbooks.
The NCAA says the school will be on probation until June 2012, but decided against a harsher penalty. It agreed with the school’s decision to drop a men’s basketball scholarship in 2008-09 and said nearly $28,000 must be donated to charity — an amount that reflects twice the total of the money spent on the textbooks.
The school self-reported a number of infractions in the case back in 2006. It said athletes from 12 teams — unaware they were violating NCAA rules — made purchases averaging approximately $135 that included non-required textbooks and school supplies.
The NCAA says 108 student-athletes were involved in the improper purchases. And in 2006-07, six men’s basketball players made long-distance calls using a university access code assigned to the former head coach.
