U-M Announces Findings of Men's Basketball Investigation
10/9/1997 12:00:00 AM | General
Press Conference Comments from Lee Bollinger and Tom Goss
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- No major violations of NCAA rules or regulations have been uncovered in a seven-month independent investigation of the University of Michigan men's basketball program, U-M President Lee C. Bollinger announced today (10/9/97).
The findings of the investigation, conducted by the law firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King, of Overland Park, Kansas, and released today, have been forwarded to the NCAA, Bollinger said.
The firm was retained by the president in March following published, anonymous allegations in the Detroit Free Press of wrongdoing in the basketball program, specifically the charge that current and former student-athletes received cash payments and gifts from a Detroit booster.
In their report to Bollinger, investigators with Bond, Schoeneck & King stressed the difficulty of conducting an investigation that involved anonymous newspaper sources and the lack of cooperation of the booster, identified as Ed Martin. Some former student-athletes who were alleged to have benefited from Martin also declined to assist in the investigation, the firm reported.
Investigators said they made repeated, unsuccessful attempts to meet with Martin, whose attorney told them "there are no circumstances" under which Martin would cooperate with the investigation.
Investigators also reported that they were unable to determine the identity of individuals who were anonymously quoted in newspaper accounts.
"This is a most unique case in that virtually all of the allegations that spawned and fueled the investigation were made by sources the media, which brought the allegations to light, did not name. In fact, there have been no published allegations by an identified individual who claimed to have firsthand knowledge that Ed Martin either assisted in the recruitment of prospects to Michigan or provided impermissible benefits to Michigan students-athletes," the report stated.
Of the anonymous sources quoted in news reports, the law firm reported, "Without the opportunity to identify and question the individuals who claim to have direct knowledge and information about Martin's provision of benefits to prospective and enrolled student-athletes, it is not possible to conduct a complete investigation."
The scope of the Bond, Schoeneck and King investigation included interviews with more than 50 people, including current and former student-athletes, families and friends of student-athletes, coaches, and University administrators and staff; reviews of hundreds of pages of University documents such as team travel records, telephone bills and complimentary ticket lists; and reviews of external records such as student-athletes' apartment leases, hotel room rentals, car and truck registrations, and motor vehicle purchases and leases.
In a March report to the NCAA, the University determined Martin to be a representative of Athletic Department interests because of a combination of factors: he was a season ticket-holder; received complimentary tickets to games; had a son who was a former student at U-M; and provided benefits to enrolled student-athletes and their families. Those benefits led the University to report two secondary violations of NCAA bylaws to the NCAA.
The University totally disassociated Martin from U-M athletics in March.
In their report issued today, private investigators said it is debatable whether the University actually committed any violations, as reported to the NCAA in March. Investigators determined there was "insufficient evidence" to show that Martin was technically a representative of U-M athletic interests, according to NCAA bylaws.
"[I]f it is determined that Martin is not a representative of Michigan's athletic interests, his alleged provision of benefits to prospective and enrolled student-athletes would not be a violation of NCAA recruiting or extra-benefit legislation," investigators wrote in their report.
Bollinger said the University will work with the NCAA to properly determine Martin's status in relation to NCAA rules and definitions.
Investigators said they believe Martin developed ties with student-athletes for personal benefit, rather than to see the University reap rewards in terms of recruiting. They added that Martin has formed relationships with several high school students who are considered prospective players of NCAA Division I basketball and who have gone on to attend other universities.
"The firm's investigators have not been involved with an investigation of this type and magnitude where the investigation did not reveal some substantive evidence that the individual at the center of the investigation attempted to recruit prospects to the institution being investigated. Nonetheless, the evidence is clear that Martin did attempt to develop close relationships with several top prep basketball prospects," investigators reported.
They added, "[M]artin may have developed relationships with and provided benefits to top collegiate student-athletes with the hope that the young men will appreciate his assistance and 'return the favor' after they become professionals and sign lucrative contracts, much in the same way that a sports agent who provides impermissible benefits to top collegiate student-athletes with the hopes that the athletes will retain him as their agent when they leave college and become professional athletes," investigators wrote in their report.
U-M Athletic Director Tom Goss said he was appreciative of the investigators' work and, after studying the report more completely, will review it with Head Coach Steve Fisher.
"During the past year, ever since these anonymous allegations first surfaced, the Athletic Department has gone through an intense period of review and self-evaluation as it relates to our coaches and our commitments. Every coach at Michigan is well aware that his or her position carries with it a great measure of responsibility and accountability, as well as a clearly stated set of policies and values.
"In the next few days we will review the findings of the report with Coach Fisher to determine an appropriate course of action for our men's basketball program," Goss said.
Contact: Bruce Madej (313) 763-4423
