The University of Oklahoma football program has been placed on three years probation, banned from television appearances in 1989, and barred from postseason competition in 1989 and 1990 for recruiting violations, a television station reported Saturday.
Oklahoma City television station KOCO-TV reported that it had a obtained a copy of the NCAA report due to be released Monday.The station also reported that the NCAA will tell the school that the number of official paid visits by prospective students athletes will be limited to 50 for the next two years and that only eight full-time coaches can participate in off-campus recruiting in 1989.
The station also said the NCAA will limit Oklahoma to 18 footballl scholarships for the next two years.
Athletic Director Donnie Duncan and his assistant, John Underwood, said they would have no comment about the television station's report. Football coach Barry Switzer was out of town and unavailable for comment.
An athletic department official said a news conference will be held Monday afternoon to discuss the NCAA sanctions.
David Berst, the assistant director in charge of enforcement for the NCAA, refused to confirm or deny the station's report.
"We will have nothing to say until Monday morning," Berst said
The NCAA reportedly has asked the school to show cause why it should not be penalized further if it fails to take disciplnary action against three assisant coaches and fails to disassociate itself from a booster.
The station did not identify the assistants or the booster.
Oklahoma will play Clemson in the Citrus Bowl Jan. 2.
The station also reported that the NCAA found "numerous and major violations," including:
- A booster provided an automobile for a prosective student-athlete at no cost.
- An assistant coach led a student-athlete to believe that he would be "taken care of" if he enrolled at the school.
- An assistant coach provided $1,000 in cash to a recruit as an inducement to enroll at the school.
- Student-athletes were given cash for the sale of their complimentary season tickets.