2008 Woodie Awards
Men's Season Cancelled
Jensen, James and staff resign
By: Jeremy Homan
Issue date: 1/16/07 Section: Sports
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"We have to turn this around as fast as we can. It's definitely a black-eye on the athletic program," said Fanno.
Fanno doesn't believe there will be any sanctions or penalties placed on the university, and Staci Schottman, a spokesperson for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, said the situation at PUC is a rare circumstance in the NAIA and specific rules are at the discretion of the institute.
"We've already policed ourselves and I think the NAIA will be satisfied with what we've done," said Fanno.
The uproar began only days after Christmas when the remainder of the 2006-2007 men's basketball season was cancelled due to the academic ineligibility of eight of the thirteen Peregrines. Those eight will be unable to play during the spring semester.
According to Fanno, in order to be academically eligible a student-athlete must complete 12 credit hours and hold a GPA of at least a 2.0 average.
The ineligibility, following two season-ending injuries, has driven the discontinuance of the PUC men's season as well as the resignations of Head Coach Mike James and assistant coaches Derron Evans and Drew Fountain.
Further internal investigations into the men's basketball program have uncovered that three players competed last fall despite failing to satisfy the academic requirements, resulting in the forfeit of its eight victories earlier in the season as well as the resignation of Rob Jensen, assistant vice chancellor of health, recreation and sports.
Jensen, who has headed the program for the last five years, accepted responsibility for using poor judgment in responding to issues related to the eligibility of the athletes.
John Friend, the former PUC athletics director whom Jensen succeeded, has agreed to serve as an athletic consultant to the university from Jan. 16 through July 31 in his place.
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