Bollinger and Goss Comments on Men's Hoops Findings
10/9/1997 12:00:00 AM | General
Press Conference Comments from Michigan
President Lee Bollinger and Athletic Director Tom Goss
Regarding Findings of the U-M Men's Basketball Investigation
U-M Announces Findings of Men's Basketball Investigation
U-M President Lee Bollinger's opening:
I asked for this report in March of this year following an internal report that was prepared by the athletic department about some allegations that surfaced the preceding fall. It began on February 1 and within a week or two after that the athletic department had concluded it's internal investigation into these allegations. At the conclusion of the internal report and our submission of that report to the NCAA, there were a number of reports in the media that if true would clearly establish major violations under NCAA rules. In the face of those reports by the media I decided that our own internal investigation would not be sufficient for two reasons. One, it might be wrong and two, it might lack public confidence. It was at that point I asked the Kansas City firm to undertake a completely independent investigation into these matters. They have done so and as Vice President Harrison said we are publicly releasing this report and submitting it to the NCAA.
Bollinger on report's findings:
The report concludes after six or seven months of investigation that there is insufficient evidence of major NCAA violations. The NCAA rules are very complex and from a legal scholar's point of view I can see how they need some clarification. The upshot is that without more than the report states, the program should not suffer major penalties.
Bollinger on Michigan standards:
Next I want to emphasize that the standards for Michigan athletics is not to take pleasure in not having major NCAA violations. Our standards have been and will continue to be far higher than that. We owe this to the students, their parents, the University and to the public. We must have these standards to maintain credibility in the regional and national discussions about the nature of intercollegiate athletics. Consequently, we will use the report not only in the dealings with the NCAA and the NCAA manual, but also for what is says about our compliance with our own standards as well. I want to reiterate a basic principle here that the formulation, articulation and enforcement of our own values at Michigan rest with the Athletic Director which is Tom Goss. The President, University and especially the faculty participate in the formulation of these values, however, in the end it is and must be the Athletic Director that we turn to for their implementation. At this point I am now returning the report back over to the Athletic Director, Tom Goss, and we put our trust in Tom to review this report and to decide what it's implications will be for our program.
Bollinger on media:
There is a huge gap between what our six month investigation has uncovered and what has been reported in some parts of the press. I do not draw the conclusion from this gap that there is no basis to what has been alleged in the press, we simply don't know. We have done everything we can within the limits of the law to ascertain the validity of the charges and the simple fact remains, the more serious allegations remain unproven. Virtually all of those serious allegations come from anonymous sources which we have not been able to verify or check their veracity. I know as a legal scholar how easy it is for serious allegations to crumble when open to the sunshine of public examination. In addition I know how much damage can be done to individuals by means of a veil of secrecy and how tempting it can be to make and pass on anonymous allegations. As someone who has a lifelong commitment, both personal and scholarly, to a free and robust press I respect deeply the public's benefit of investigative journalism and even at times the use of anonymous sources. However, given the potential for abuse and for public injury with the use of anonymous sources as well as given the public's inability to demand any kind of independent investigation of the press, we must rely on the press itself to use this journalistic practice sparingly and with the highest standards. I believe these standards should be revealed and always with the highest degree of self- criticism. My hope, therefore, is that such criticism will take place in this case as well.
U-M Director of Athletics Tom Goss' opening:
I must say that we are gratified, extremely gratified that there are no major violations that you will find in those 250 pages of the report. I repeat, we are gratified that there are no major violations in those 250 pages which you will find in the investigation that took place over the past six to seven months. However, I am concerned that some of our practices and procedures within our own standards here at Michigan need to be reviewed even farther over the next few days as we have time to get into this report. I will be doing this over the next few days and will be doing this with coach Fisher when he returns from vacation. At that time we will have a better understanding of our own standards and principles and how they relate to how we will operate here at Michigan.
Goss on coach Steve Fisher:
We have not reviewed it with coach Fisher and I am sure if you were in that same position you would like to be able to sit-down with your Athletic Director and review the report with him.
Goss on the violations:
There are no major violations. There appear to be three secondary violations which are very small.
Goss on the staff's knowledge of illegal practices:
I really do not think I could answer that until I visit with the coach. At this point in time the issue is Michigan's own standards and practices.
Goss on people around a program who are not on staff:
At a point in time we will have to look at that. That will always be important with any program, the people that surround your program clearly is important. It is good for people to understand what your policies and procedures are if they are going to be close to your program. People need to understand that if they will be around your program they will need to know your policies and procedures.
Contact: Bruce Madej (313) 763-4423
