Sanctions to cut into UA program

SCOTT CAIN
ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE

FAYETTEVILLE -- Scholarship sanctions will hurt Arkansas' football program but not its next recruiting class, Coach Houston Nutt said Tuesday.
As part of self-imposed penalties for NCAA violations, Arkansas will cut three initial scholarships and two overall in 2001, and two initial scholarships and one overall in 2002. Initial scholarships are those given to recruits.
Losing three spots in the next recruiting class won't matter because Arkansas has room to sign only 16 to 18 prospects, Nutt said. The NCAA allows programs to sign a maximum of 25 recruits. Subtract the initial scholarship penalty and the school can sign up to 22.
"It doesn't bother [us] the first year, doesn't really hurt you as much," Nutt said. "Where it's really going to hurt you is the next year."
Nutt said he anticipates needing to sign a full class in 2002.
Recruiting class sizes vary depending on how much room the team has under the overall maximum of 85 scholarships.
Arkansas reported violations involving extra benefits for athletes to the NCAA after a six-month investigation ended in June.
An SEC investigator found 20 to 25 UA athletes worked for two Dallas-area businesses owned by booster Ted Harrod from 1994-99 and received more than fair market wages for their work. Only senior defensive end Randy Garner still competes for the Razorbacks.
The investigator did not determine the precise number of infractions because the companies' bookkeeping was sloppy. But Athletic Director Frank Broyles said in the investigation's final report that "a series" of violations occurred.
Broyles will not comment until the NCAA rules on the case. The NCAA could accept Arkansas' penalties, add to them or open its own investigation.
NCAA officials will not comment on specific cases.
Commenting on the self-reporting process, NCAA spokesman Wally Renfro said Tuesday that the association's staff judges secondary violations and the Infractions Committee rules on major infractions.
Arkansas has characterized the athletes' infractions as secondary.
Besides scholarship reductions, Arkansas has suspended Garner for one game, banned Harrod and his family from associating with the athletic programs for five years and rejected $250,000 that Harrod planned to donate.
The NCAA staff considers closely whether a school's self-imposed penalties are fitting and sincere, Renfro said.
Even though the reduction in initial scholarships in 2001 shouldn't faze Arkansas, the rest of the penalties will, Nutt said.
"It's a big blow," Nutt said. "It hurts your program. People around the world say 85 scholarships, we've got to cut football, we've got to cut football. They don't know what they're saying right there.
"Because of the quality of football, it's tough to have depth. So when you take away from those initials, you're just cutting the program right in the heart. Every scholarship is so precious."
The most severe penalty is losing two overall scholarships in 2001 and one in 2002, Nutt said.
Arkansas has maintained its full 85 allotment since Nutt took over the program in December 1997. Last year, the fit was so tight that Nutt had to ask two recruits to defer their scholarships one semester.
Arkansas still won't turn down the best players in the state or a highly rated out-of-state prospect who has academically qualified, Nutt said. That means the players who potentially will miss out on scholarships the next two years could be deserving walk-ons.
If Arkansas had restrictions this season, then Nutt would not have been able to put walk-on tight end Cameron Glenn on scholarship last week.

This article was published on Wednesday, August 30, 2000

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