NCAA extends deadline for response to ‘failure to monitor’

The IU Department of Athletics received a letter Tuesday from the NCAA extending the deadline for the University’s response to the “failure to monitor” allegation leveled against the department. The response, which will come in the form of a letter, must be submitted on, but not before, Sept. 26. It cannot be released in any form until that date.

“The University was fully prepared to meet its deadline established by the NCAA in its response to the failure to monitor allegation,” Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan said in a statement Tuesday. “However, based upon the September 16 letter from the NCAA Committee on Infractions, we will work on final edits and submit on the new date required.”

The original deadline, set for today, was moved because the NCAA is still finishing its report, according to the letter, signed by Josephine Potuto, chair of the committee of infractions.

“The committee is in the process of finalizing those portions of its report specific to allegations made against the former coaches,” the letter reads.

The sixth and last allegation made against the beleaguered men’s basketball program in the wake of Kelvin Sampson’s departure suggests the University should have monitored Sampson more closely, knowing the recruiting violations he brought to Bloomington from Oklahoma. Announced on June 26, the allegation came the same day Greenspan announced his resignation as athletics director, effective at the end of this year.

It drew strong condemnation from IU President Michael McRobbie as well, who said the University would fight hard against the allegation.

“I am extremely disappointed with this additional allegation by the Committee on Infractions,” McRobbie said in a June 26 release. “I believe our compliance program worked and have remained steadfast since I first learned of this situation in my belief that Rick Greenspan and the compliance staff did their job.”

IU men’s basketball coach Tom Crean indicated at a press conference last week that the University had completed its letter and that he had seen it. Parties involved will now have an extra nine days, however, with which to perfect a response.