Arizona State hit with NCAA sanctions for improper football recruiting visits during pandemic

Updated Apr. 19, 2024 1:16 p.m. ET

Associated Press

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona State and four former members of its football coaching staff have reached an agreement with the NCAA on penalties for impermissible in-person contact with recruits during the COVID-10 dead period.

Two others are contesting portions of their respective cases via a written record hearing, according to a release by the NCAA on Friday.

Under the penalties, Arizona State was hit with four years probation, a fine, an already-served self-imposed ban for the 2023 postseason and vacation of records for games in which ineligible student-athletes competed. The Sun Devils also will have a reduction in scholarships and recruiting restrictions in alignment for the Level I-mitigated classification for the school.

The agreed-upon violations also include recruiting inducements, impermissible tryouts and tampering by the staff under former head coach Herm Edwards.

The resolution includes an agreement that the violations demonstrated unethical conduct by involved individuals and a head coach responsibility violation. The school also agreed that it failed to monitor the program.

“Arizona State’s cooperation throughout the investigation and processing of this case was exemplary, and the cooperation began with the leadership shown by the university president,” said Jason Leonard, executive director of athletics compliance at Oklahoma and chief hearing officer for the Committee on Infractions panel. “The school’s acceptance of responsibility and decision to self-impose meaningful core penalties is a model for all schools to follow and is consistent with the expectations of the NCAA’s infractions program.”

Splitting the decisions allows the school and other parties to immediately begin serving their penalties while awaiting the committee's final decision on remaining portions of the case.

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