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Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

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  • Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

    Just saw this this morning and didn't see it here. Potsdam gets 2 years probation and no postseason.

    -----

    The NCAA has penalized the State University of New York at Potsdam for violations of financial aid rules involving men's and women's ice hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; women's volleyball and women's soccer programs.

    Penalties in this case include two years probation and a postseason ban.

    During the 2008-08 and 2009-10 academic years, the NCAA says the university awarded financial aid packages to student-athletes in a pattern clearly distinguishable from the general pattern of all financial aid for the general student body. The committee noted the violations were unintentional, but represented a significant competitive advantage.

    The university awarded the scholarships in the form of International Initiative Grants, which were designed to increase the presence of international students enrolled at the university.

    Link (Why an Indiana site picked it up is beyond me): http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/vi...am-State-NCAA/

  • #2
    Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

    STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT POTSDAM PUBLIC INFRACTIONS REPORT

    Excerpt:
    This case involved violation of NCAA Division III financial aid bylaws. Over two
    academic years, 2008-09 and 2009-10, the institution administered financial aid to
    international student-athletes in a manner not sufficiently equivalent to the percentage of
    student-athletes within the student body. The financial aid, which was distributed to
    Canadian student-athletes in the sports of men's and women's ice hockey, men's and
    women's lacrosse, women's soccer and women's volleyball, was awarded in the form of
    International Initiative Grants that were designed to increase the presence of international
    students enrolled at the institution. However, in 2008-09, approximately 24 percent of
    the grants were awarded to student-athletes while student-athletes comprised only
    approximately 11 percent of the general student body. In 2009-10, almost 17 percent of
    the grants went to student-athletes, even though they made up only approximately eight
    percent of the student body. Because the percentages were not closely equivalent, as
    required by NCAA Bylaw 15.4.1-(d), violations occurred. The committee noted that the
    violations were unintentional
    .
    Larry Normandin
    SUNY Cobleskill '83-SUNY Plattsburgh '00

    Temper is one thing you can't get rid of by losing it.

    God gave everyone patience-The wise use it.

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    • #3
      Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

      Originally posted by LakerFan99 View Post
      Just saw this this morning and didn't see it here. Potsdam gets 2 years probation and no postseason.

      ...
      Link (Why an Indiana site picked it up is beyond me): http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/vi...am-State-NCAA/
      The NCAA is headquartered in Indianapolis, INDIANA - perhaps some "insider trading".
      Larry Normandin
      SUNY Cobleskill '83-SUNY Plattsburgh '00

      Temper is one thing you can't get rid of by losing it.

      God gave everyone patience-The wise use it.

      Trust is like paper - Once crumbled it can never again be perfect.

      Twitter w/ Bob Emery

      WIRY (Windows Player)
      WIRY (Chrome/Android Player)

      Talk is cheap because supply exceeds demand!

      Pen pals

      D3HOCKEY.com

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

        First Genesseo and Buff State, now Potsdam. Potential problems for other SUNY schools? The international student thing seems to be causing issues. Based on the report of how internationally friendly Plattsburgh is, I expect they will not have a problem. How about Oswego?
        2007-2008 ECAC East/NESCAC Interlock Pick 'em winner
        2007-2008 Last Person Standing Winner,
        2013-2014 Last Person Standing Winner (tie)
        2016-2017 Last Person Standing Winner

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        • #5
          Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

          Originally posted by LakerFan99 View Post
          The NCAA has penalized the State University of New York at Potsdam for violations of financial aid rules involving men's and women's ice hockey; men's and women's lacrosse; women's volleyball and women's soccer programs.

          During the 2008-08 and 2009-10 academic years, the NCAA says the university awarded financial aid packages to student-athletes in a pattern clearly distinguishable from the general pattern of all financial aid for the general student body. The committee noted the violations were unintentional, but represented a significant competitive advantage.
          If you look at the records of those teams in those years, I don't know how in the world you could say such a thing...
          Russell Jaslow
          [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
          U.S. College Hockey Online

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

            Originally posted by NUProf View Post
            First Genesseo and Buff State, now Potsdam. Potential problems for other SUNY schools? The international student thing seems to be causing issues. Based on the report of how internationally friendly Plattsburgh is, I expect they will not have a problem. How about Oswego?
            Remember what I wrote in my column when the Geneseo/Buffalo State story first broke? I wrote there are potentially a lot more of these coming down. And not just in SUNYAC.

            The surprising thing about Potsdam is I used them as an example of how to do it right, since they had an academic program set up to attract non-athlete Canadian students. So, the question has to be, where did it go wrong?
            Russell Jaslow
            [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
            U.S. College Hockey Online

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

              Originally posted by Russell Jaslow View Post
              Remember what I wrote in my column when the Geneseo/Buffalo State story first broke? I wrote there are potentially a lot more of these coming down. And not just in SUNYAC.

              The surprising thing about Potsdam is I used them as an example of how to do it right, since they had an academic program set up to attract non-athlete Canadian students. So, the question has to be, where did it go wrong?
              I think one of the flaws in the thinking in the whole process is that athletes are more likely to have an interest in going to school out of country than other students. In Canada there are plenty of opportunities for students to get a quality education at a reasonable tuition rate, but there are not as many opportunities for athletes to get an education and participate in a relatively high profile athletic program. I would expect that an international scholarship program will always take proportionally more athletes than non-athletes. If the intent is campus diversification, the NCAA should be giving schools more slack. We've also seen this issue had an impact at UNE - where hockey players were told to either give up the grant or stop playing hockey.
              2007-2008 ECAC East/NESCAC Interlock Pick 'em winner
              2007-2008 Last Person Standing Winner,
              2013-2014 Last Person Standing Winner (tie)
              2016-2017 Last Person Standing Winner

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                Originally posted by NUProf View Post
                I think one of the flaws in the thinking in the whole process is that athletes are more likely to have an interest in going to school out of country than other students. In Canada there are plenty of opportunities for students to get a quality education at a reasonable tuition rate, but there are not as many opportunities for athletes to get an education and participate in a relatively high profile athletic program. I would expect that an international scholarship program will always take proportionally more athletes than non-athletes. If the intent is campus diversification, the NCAA should be giving schools more slack. We've also seen this issue had an impact at UNE - where hockey players were told to either give up the grant or stop playing hockey.
                Reading the NCAA report, it appears Potsdam fell into a scary trap that many other schools could find themselves in.

                Potsdam was doing it right, initially. But then for various reasons, mainly economic, they slowed down their recruiting of non-athlete Canadian students. The problem is, no one (mainly the financial aid office) kept their eye on the ball and/or notified the athletic department that this started to cause the numbers to become skewed.

                Like we talked about in many other threads, you need to keep the ratios the same. When Potsdam slowed down their general recruiting efforts in Canada, and naturally the coaches did not, 24% of the grants went to student athletes while the percentage of student athletes amongst the general student population is 11%. The following year, it was 17% and 8%, respectively. Ergo, you are now in violation.

                "Because the percentages were not closely equivalent, as required by NCAA Bylaw 15.4.1-(d), violations occurred."

                It doesn't matter how much of an international (or Canadian) flavor a school has (like Plattsburgh). If you let the ratios get skewed, you're screwed.
                Russell Jaslow
                [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
                U.S. College Hockey Online

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                  Originally posted by NUProf View Post
                  First Genesseo and Buff State, now Potsdam. Potential problems for other SUNY schools? The international student thing seems to be causing issues. Based on the report of how internationally friendly Plattsburgh is, I expect they will not have a problem. How about Oswego?
                  Wonder how many Platty fans are wishing Oz got caught?
                  Twitter: DanMountSports
                  2013-14 DIII T.O.P. NIT Champion

                  2010-2011 Interlock LPS Co-Champion

                  Well, I'm going to do a farewell tour of upstate New York, hellholes like Plattsburgh. Fred Armisen as Gov. Paterson

                  "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." - The Doctor (Tom Baker)

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                  • #10
                    Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                    Originally posted by MountieBoyOz View Post
                    Wonder how many Platty fans are wishing Oz got caught?
                    We have no idea who else the NCAA is currently investigating.

                    I'd be very careful about potential foot-in-mouth statements...
                    Russell Jaslow
                    [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
                    U.S. College Hockey Online

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                      Originally posted by Russell Jaslow View Post
                      We have no idea who else the NCAA is currently investigating.

                      I'd be very careful about potential foot-in-mouth statements...
                      I know, but I could picture one of them saying "Please let it be Oswego" when they heard the words, SUNYAC, hockey and probation in the same sentence.
                      Twitter: DanMountSports
                      2013-14 DIII T.O.P. NIT Champion

                      2010-2011 Interlock LPS Co-Champion

                      Well, I'm going to do a farewell tour of upstate New York, hellholes like Plattsburgh. Fred Armisen as Gov. Paterson

                      "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." - The Doctor (Tom Baker)

                      Team I Like NFL: BUF NBA: NYK MLB: SEA NHL: NYR College Hockey: Clarkson (DI) Oswego (D3) Soccer: USA, Man United, Rangers (newco and all), Scotland NCAAF & B: SU

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                        Reading the NCAA report carefully, it appears that Potsdam will not be barred from postseason play next year. It appears they are in the same situation Geneseo and Buffalo State were in -- as long as no player on the roster is receiving the aid, the team can compete in the postseason.

                        The lacrosse teams are currently in their season, so they have no way of correcting the problem this year (same situation as Geneseo and Buffalo State hockey teams last year). But once a new season starts, if the rosters are "clean" then there is no ban.
                        Russell Jaslow
                        [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
                        U.S. College Hockey Online

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                          I wonder what the Bears hockey team will look like next season? I just heard about this NCAA violation late last night and was baffled by it. My question is, as Russell stated regarding the ratio of international student athletes to interational students became an issue, then how is that the fault of the Coaches?
                          Well just like my Leafs, I now know my Bears won't be in the post season.....by October.
                          LETS GO BEARS!

                          "Never play flag football in the nude"-Bob Kevoian

                          "Don't let anyone tell you what we do builds character, it only reveals it." J.Marsh

                          SUNY Potsdam '98

                          St.Lawrence '00


                          Mike St. Louis is not a BUM!

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                          • #14
                            Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                            Originally posted by Saints17 View Post
                            I wonder what the Bears hockey team will look like next season? I just heard about this NCAA violation late last night and was baffled by it. My question is, as Russell stated regarding the ratio of international student athletes to interational students became an issue, then how is that the fault of the Coaches?
                            It's NOT the fault of the coaches. Who is implying otherwise? This is something many ill informed Geneseo fans couldn't understand (nor get over) last year in their criticism.

                            In fact, in D3, it's against the rules for coaches to even talk to recruits about any potential financial aid (a rule that is violated all the time...). All they can do is refer the student to their financial aid office to discuss this sort of thing. It's up to the financial aid office, and hopefully with proper communications with the athletic department, to make sure all NCAA financial aid rules are being followed.

                            It is the responsibility of the entire institution to follow the rules properly. They did not. Ergo, they got in trouble.
                            Russell Jaslow
                            [Former] SUNYAC Correspondent
                            U.S. College Hockey Online

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Potsdam Penalized by NCAA for Violating Financial Aid Rules

                              Russell.....I didn't mean to imply its the Coaches fault. I was making a "blanket" statement, as no one should fault the Coaches on this.
                              LETS GO BEARS!

                              "Never play flag football in the nude"-Bob Kevoian

                              "Don't let anyone tell you what we do builds character, it only reveals it." J.Marsh

                              SUNY Potsdam '98

                              St.Lawrence '00


                              Mike St. Louis is not a BUM!

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