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SPORTS
Sunday, July 29, 1984
Page 16
The Michigan Daily
TuehBRum
By Douglas B. Levy
Football Ilini style.. .
..cheatingpays Off
The saddest, most tragic thing of all is that Mike White really doesn't care
about what rules he's had to break since assuming the head coaching
position at the University of Illinois. White is the ultimate "big time college"
cheater. He is perfect representation of how ugly "big time football" can
get.
Here are the bare results of what White and his Illinois football program
have produced as a result of five years: two years on NCAA probation, one
year of not being televised at all (probably in 1985), absolutely now bowl game
appearances following the '84 season, a forced reduction of football scholar-
ships from 30 to 20, the forced
disassociation of several in-
dividuals from the program and a
salary freeze for White (one year)
and assistant cheater Max McCar-
tney (two years).
Before this latest scandal, White
:and Illinois completed 18 months on
Big Ten probation, including the for-
feiture of a full year of the almighty
television revenues for the Dave
Wilson eligibility coverup.
But White is not overly upset
about this seemingly monumental
setback, and here is why.
The administration of the univer-
sity wanted to field a winning foot-
ball team at all costs. Illinois boasts
White a large and wealthy alumni who
...nailed to the wall lusted to witness a Rose Bowl. And
following two decades of utter humil-
iation in the Big Ten standings,
everyone remotely affiliated with the Champaign campus was willing to close
their eyes while White illegally set out to build a winning program.
Does this seem like a theory concocted out of merriment? Mike White, as
an experienced collegiate coach and recruiter was well aware of the rules
and regulations he was violating. White inherited an Illini program com-
parable to the current mess faced by Lou Holtz at Minnesota and by George
Perles when he arrived at Michigan State.
But White was under pressure to field a winner and was not guaranteed the
painful years necessary to patiently develop a successful program. So with
complete cooperation from the university White did something on a large
scale that no Big Ten program had attempted before, he imported junior
college transfers.
Nothing is wrong with recruiting junior college athletes if the
process is carried out with integrity. It is frequently the case that junior
college athletes must attend the two year institutions in order to bolster their
academic qualifications. This further puts White's recruiting practices to
question. Just how many Illini football players are eligible to play college
football?
Commenting recently that he wasn't even aware he was doing anything
illegal until the NCAA started investigating Illinois' program last February,
White is indicating that he is indeed a first-class liar. Since Illinois was in-
vestigated for 187 alleged infractions, one would logically deduce that White
was well aware of what he was trying to pull off.
One of the NCAA charges is that White led a prospective player to believe
that employment for his girlfriend would be found.
So why the comment that White isn't really too upset in light of recent
developments that will seemingly impair his future winning percentage?
First of all, White and Illinois now admit that they did cheat and secondly
they realize that they got off very easily. By instituting self-imposed
punishments the Illini succeeded in having the NCAA lighten the severity of
the penalty.
Cutting scholarships from 30 to 20 is a loss to be felt, but the majority of big
time programs operates with 20 anyway. And lastly, White himself will not.
suffer a bit. He draws a big salary and has a long future in coaching should
he choose to remain in the profession.
True Illinois will miss a bowl game and be frozen off the tube for a year,
but they've gotten what they initially wanted, a winning football program.
Illinois gets two
years probation
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From wire reports
MISSION, Kan. - The NCAA placed
the University of Illinois football
program on two years probation Friday
for recruiting violations, ending the 2%/
year investigation of the school.
As a result, the Fighting Illini will be
unable to appear in a bowl game this
season and will be banned from ap-
pearing on television for one year. The
NCAA said that two representatives of
the university's athletic program will
be disassociated from it, while the
school banned five other institutional
representatives from activities in the
program.
"THIS CASE was considered quite
serious by the NCAA Committee on In-
fractions," said Thomas J. Niland, in-
terim chairman of the committee.
"And the committee would have im-
posed a more severe penalty if the in-
stition had not already taken substan-
tial disciplinary action on its own
initiative."
The NCAA said the penalties were the
result of recruiting violations, benefits
to student athletes and unethical con-
duct.
In addition, the university imposed
its own sanctions. It said it would
prohibit head coach Mike White and
assistant coach Max McCartney from
on-the-road recruiting for one year and
freeze their salaries. It will also reduce
the number of scholarships available
next year from 30 down to 20.
THE UNIVERSITY learned of the of-
ficial charges in February and laun-
ched an internal investigation, hiring
former federal Judge Philip Tone to
coordinate it.
The NCAA process began as a
preliminary inquiry in the spring of
1982 and centered on the recruitment of
two California junior college players.
However, the scope of the inquiry
widened and NCAA investigators
returned to the Urbana-Champaign
campus several times to interview
players, coaches and athletic officials.
The JC players originally in question
were Elton Veals and Delton Edwards,
who had sought to transfer from
Merritt Junior College in Oakland,
Calif.
The two arrived on campus in
January, 1982 but never attended
classes. Instead they returned to
California less than a week later.
VEALS SAID that his and Edwards'
plane tickets to Illinois were supplied
by McCartney. He said the two were
later given jobs riding snowmobiles to
"pay" for their trip.
Under NCAA rules, a member in-
stitution may finance only one visit to
its campus for a prospective student
athlete. Veals and Edwards had
already taken their first trip.
Said Coach White, "I hate to see
student-athletes punished (for
something) in which they had ab-
solutely no involvement," referring to
the current players on the team.
Chancellor John Cribbet vowed
yesterday that the University of Illinois
is committed to obeying NCAA rules
and added, "Mike White is a great
coach. But Mike White is not the
world's greatest administrator. I'm
certain that Mike has learned a very
bitter lesson."
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CAROL L. FRANCAVILLA /Daily
Building for the future
Wolverine head coach Bo Schembechler and his assistant, Alex Agase talk
shop yesterday in Michigan Stadium. Schembechler was hosting high school
seniors and their families yesterday for a tour of the facilities.
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