In an official statement released yesterday, the NCAA's Committee of Infractions concluded that the Virginia men's basketball program committed secondary violations of the organization's bylaws and recommended a punishment that reduces the University's number of grant-in-aids and official recruiting visits.
The violations center primarily around improper payments made to a recruit early in 1996 by the basketball program, including a $50 deposit and rent payments of $200 per month for an apartment.
But the rent went unpaid during the time in question.
The NCAA also uncovered a separate violation in which the same recruit received "legal expenses, impermissible transportation, lodging, meals, spending money and other benefits totaling $14,000," according to the Committee's release.
The recruit in question already signed two letters of intent with the University prior to when the violations occurred, thus leading the NCAA to deem them secondary in nature rather than major.
A secondary violation "provides only a limited recruiting or competitive advantage," said Jane Jankowski, the NCAA's Public Information Coordinator.
"A major infraction is one that provides an extensive recruiting or competitive advantage," Jankowski said.
In a letter to NCAA Enforcement Staff Rep. Christopher Strobel dated Oct. 1, Athletic Director Terry Holland, on behalf of the University, "accept[ed] full responsibility for the violations that occurred."
As a result of the athletic infractions, the men's basketball program will see its grant-in-aids trimmed by one in 2000-2001.
In addition, the Cavaliers will be allotted just nine official recruiting visits, down from the customary 12.
Furthermore, the Committee of Infractions mandated that the University issue letters of reprimand to those individuals associated with Cavalier athletics who were implicated in the violations.
"In this case, because there was reprimand, a public statement was released," Jankowski said. "Typically speaking, the NCAA does not make public statements."
The University issued a self-report to the NCAA in March after a committee headed by University President John T. Casteen III and the NCAA Enforcement Staff explored possible transgressions in the men's basketball program.
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