Institution: Texas A&M University, College Station

Date: July 02, 2020

Violation Summary: Pursuant to Bylaw 19.5.12.4, this negotiated resolution has no precedential value. The Texas A&M football program violated NCAA recruiting and countable athletically related activity rules between January 2018 and February 2019, The head football coach also violated NCAA head coach responsibility rules. The university, head coach and NCAA enforcement staff agreed that the head coach and an assistant coach had impermissible recruiting contact with a prospect at his high school. The conversation was impermissible because it occurred before the completion of the prospect’s junior year in high school.

Penalty Summary: •One years of probation. •A fine of $5,000. •A reduction in football official visits by 17 days during the 2019-20 academic year. •An off-campus recruiting ban for the entire football coaching staff for November 2019, which reduced the permissible evaluation days for the 2019-20 academic year by 19. •A seven-day off-campus recruiting ban for the football coaching staff for the 2020 spring off-campus recruiting period and a 10-day off-campus recruiting ban for the football coaching staff for the 2020 fall off-campus recruiting period. •The university ended its recruitment of the prospect. •A ban on recruiting any prospects from the prospect's high school for the 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-222 academic years. •A six-month show-cause order for the head coach. The terms of the show-cause order include a previously served nine-day ban on phone calls, emails or texts with prospects in January 2020; a reduction in off-campus recruiting contact days by three for the December 2019 through January 2020 contact period; a ban on all off-campus recruiting activities for the fall 2020 contact period; additional one-on-one rules education; and a public statement from the head coach addressing the violations. A six-month show-cause order for the assistant coach. The terms of the show-cause order include a previously served nine-day ban on phone calls, emails or texts with prospects in January 2020; a reduction in off-campus recruiting contact days by three for the December 2019 through January 2020 contact period; a ban on all off-campus recruiting activities for the fall 2020 contact period; and additional one-on-one rules education. The panel noted the circumstances resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic could impact how the remaining recruiting restrictions are implemented and encouraged the university to report any challenges with penalty implementation to the NCAA.

Involved Sports:
Football

Case Level: II

Involved Penalties:

---