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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1982)
Bay anxious to get past NCAA sanctions By Debbie Howlett Of Emerald When the NCAA slapped the University last December with penalties and sanctions, the administration and the athletic department fretted over reven ue realized from television ap pearances Now athletic direc tor, Rick Bay, has accepted the penalties and is anxious to be done with the whole business "We've come to accept it — the emotional element of the whole thing has disappeared," Bay says “We want to get it behind us, by and large it is behind us but we still have to live out the penalty " The penalty, meted out by the NCAA Infractions Committee is more than a slap on the wrist, Bay says In fact, Bay termed it a ‘ major penalty,” saying the "penalty fit the crime." The penalties, levied most severely on the football team, are ineligibility to play in a bowl game for one year, not playing in any televised NCAA sanc tioned games, reduction of football scholarships for 1982 from 30 to 25 and from 30 to 28 in 1983 plus an additional two year period of probation The basketball team lost one scholarship for this year and was placed on probation "You really can't budget for possible appearances on na tional television," Bay says Bay adds that the Ducks may appear on a tape delay basis and even on ESPN, the cable sports network "There's not much money in that," Bay says, “but the exposure is still there As far as the scholarships go, Bay says that the athletic department "prepared recruits for all of the sanctions and that the lack of scholarships is something the program will have to live with The two year probation period will hang far past any television appearances, lack of scholar ships or other sanctions Of the probation. Bay says that the NCAA will keep close tabs on the school But Bay says he will keep an even closer eye open. "I don't think (rule violations) could happen in a major way without anyone being aware of it I would be devastated if it happened while I was here," Bay says An example of the watchdog role Bay has taken is Fred Cofield, a former University basketball player Cofield was LOWEST AIRFARES USA & INTERNATIONAL ~687-2825 EUGENE TRAVEL Your Campus Travel Agency' Multi-Lingual Staff 831 EAST 13th AVE. (Between Duffy s & The U of O Book Store) suspended from the basketball team when it was discovered that he had made phone calls to his home at the University's ex pense, with the knowledge and assistance of an assistant coach Cofield was reinstated on the condition that he re-pay the phone bill. The University quit receiving payments from Cofield and Cofield was su spended again Over the sum mer Cofield announced that he would not return to the Univer I sity this fail “We followed the NCAA guidelines on that from begin They go back as far as 1976 from an era when Dick Harter tripped cheerleaders and as “Under my direction, there will never be a willful violation of the rules.” ning to end," Bay says. The beginnings of the viola tions are ancient history says Bay. many as seven football players were being investigated for violations of travel rules Bay also makes an effort to explain how the violations hap pen “The boosters are over zealous," he says “The alumni are as responsible as the coaches “You're trying to achieve success, so you go beyond the rules to get it," Bay says “You rationalize You compromise principles "We were definitely involved in some serious impropriety under my direction, there will never be a willful violation of the rules " When a good friend borrows your car,the tank may not come back full. But the trunk does. When you get paid back with interest like this, it sort of makes you wish he’d borrow things more often. Open up a few cold ones and toast a guy who really knows how to return a favor. Tonight, let it be Lowenbrau. Lowenbrau. Here’s to good friends. © 1982 Bw' Brewed by Miller Brewing Co , Milwaukee. Wis
