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Gators escape severe NCAA penalty

 
Published Feb. 21, 2015

GAINESVILLE — Florida has been cited for its first major NCAA football violation since 1990, but the Gators won't receive further punishment outside of their self-imposed sanctions.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has determined that former Florida wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Joker Phillips committed a Level II infraction when he arranged an impermissible meeting with a high school junior with the help of a reporter that covers recruiting.

UF's self-imposed penalties included suspending Phillips from all off-campus recruiting for 30 days beginning on April 10, 2014, and terminating the student's recruitment. Phillips was forced to resign in June.

In June, the Tampa Bay Times requested any and all documents between Florida and the NCAA related to Phillips' tenure via the state's public records law, but the University Athletic Association did not return information related to the investigation. The NCAA said the investigation began in February 2014 and concluded with a hearing in December.

"The University of Florida Athletic Association takes pride in the culture of compliance it has built over the years," athletic director Jeremy Foley said Friday. "Integrity is one of the core values of our organization. … We look forward to putting this issue behind us and we will continue to operate with the highest level of integrity and compliance."

Phillips is now the receivers coach with the NFL's Cleveland Browns.

FRESHMEN STUDY: The Big Ten is studying whether freshmen athletes should be ineligible to compete while they adjust to college life.

The conference said it has reached out to members to see if they are interested "in beginning a national discussion regarding a year of readiness for student-athletes."

The Big Ten says it has provided background information to its schools, but no proposals have been made.

Maryland's student newspaper, The Diamondback, reported Thursday that the Big Ten has distributed a document titled "A Year of Readiness" that explores the idea of making freshmen ineligible in football and men's basketball.

For decades, the NCAA barred freshmen from competing in all sports. That changed for football and basketball in 1972.

PRINCETON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL STAYS PERFECT: Alex Wheatley scored 20 and Michelle Miller added 12 to lead No. 16 Princeton to a 70-31 win over Dartmouth and keep the Tigers undefeated.

Annie Tarakchian had 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists for the Tigers (24-0, 8-0 Ivy), who are the lone unbeaten team in women's basketball. The Kentucky men's team is the only other undefeated team in Division I basketball.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.