The NCAA concluded the school violated rules on recruiting, benefits, academic eligibility, ethical conduct and institutional control.
In addition to the four years' probation, which began Dec. 1, 1995, the NCAA also reduced by seven the number of initial scholarships Michigan State can grant to football players during the 1997-98 academic year. It cut by one the number of coaches who can recruit off-campus during December 1996 and January 1997.
The sanctions, announced in a telephone news conference, are in addition to penalties the school imposed on itself after investigations by it and the NCAA turned up the violations.
Michigan State placed its football program on probation for two years, starting Dec. 1, 1995, fired its athletics student adviser and reassigned others connected to the program during the time the violations occurred.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the process worked," Michigan State President Peter McPherson said. "The NCAA findings were fair and generally consistent with our investigation. We accept their conclusions and we will not appeal the penalties."
The NCAA imposed its own penalties, but it also adopted many of the self-imposed Michigan State penalties as its own. Among the self-imposed penalties, the university forfeited five wins from the 1994 season; reduced its number of initial scholarships for 1996-97 from 25 to 23; and reduced its total football scholarships during the current year from 85 to 79.
It also already has cut by one the number of football coaches permitted to recruit off-campus and cut the number of official visits by potential football players from 56 to 48 for the 1995-96 school year.
The probes began in October 1994 and centered around alleged academic fraud. They also focused on charges of improper benefits received by Michigan State athletes from people who were not tied directly to the university, but represented its interests.
The investigations were prompted by former player Roosevelt Wagner's charges against the football program under former coach George Perles. The university has spent close to $1 million investigating the charges and defending itself to the NCAA. Perles, who was fired in November 1994 and replaced by Nick Saban, was never personally charged with any violations.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan State, already without the services of tailback Marc Renaud, was put on probation by the NCAA yesterday.