On April 23, 2014, the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Committee on Infractions released a report concluding that major violations occurred in the University of Wisconsin-River Falls’ athletics program. Specifically, the report concluded that UW-River Falls failed to properly educate personnel involved in the awarding of financial aid about NCAA regulations and allowed the former head football coach to be involved in the arranging of financial aid packages. The report also included a series of secondary violations concerning the awarding of scholarships to five former student athletes during the 2007-2008 through 2011-2012 academic years.
According to the core values of the department, UWRF Athletics seeks to be nationally-recognized for both athletic and academic achievements. However, those endeavors must be achieved through sportsmanship, compliance, ethical behavior and honesty. UW-River Falls remains committed to operating its intercollegiate athletics program with the highest integrity and will be implementing comprehensive measures to protect against similar situations occurring again in the future.
The issues in this case are not simple. NCAA rules can be difficult to understand, even for those people who work with them daily. In an effort to be as transparent as possible with the many stakeholders involved in supporting UWRF’s athletics program – fans and donors, corporate partners, members of the campus and the broader community, student-athletes, staff, parents, media, and prospective student-athletes, among others – the University has developed this online resource. The intent of the website is to provide a central location where interested persons can find timely, accurate information presented in an easy-to-understand manner. If you have additional questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the UWRF Athletics Office at 715-425-3900.
UW-River Falls Press Release NCAA Press Release NCAA Infractions ReportUWRF Football Recuit Case InformationFAQs
