Several University officials spoke out yesterday on allegations published by a Detroit newspaper that several current and former Michigan basketball players accepted cash payments from a Detroit booster.
According to a report in the Detroit Free Press, two anonymous sources linked closely with the Michigan basketball team said that Ed Martin, 63, of Detroit had a long-standing history of giving money to players.
The article stated that players received hundreds of dollars from Martin. The cash was sometimes given to them after games and within the confines of Crisler Arena. Other scenarios described the players receiving the payments hidden in cake boxes or through their girlfriends.
The University's course of action remains undecided because officials said they cannot contact the unnamed sources in the articles.
"We have no idea of what our follow-up plan is," Michigan Athletic Director Joe Roberson said. "Unnamed sources are difficult to follow up on.
"If anyone has anything to report we ask them to inform us or the NCAA," Roberson said.
Senior Associate Athletic Director Keith Molin said he was displeased that such potentially damaging allegations came from anonymous sources.
"But it's not a level playing field," Molin said. "We have to bare our soul under freedom of information. We have to reveal absolutely everything we have, which is one of the reasons why goodly numbers of people are reluctant to talk to us about this kind of thing, because then they have to be laid open to public exposure and judgments."
Molin said the Athletic Department was aware of the allegations before they surfaced yesterday.
University President Lee Bollinger said the story was reported within the realm of journalistic integrity, but at the same time the University could do nothing with the facts of the story based on the unnamed sources.
"The media works by different rules of evidence than official investigations," Bollinger said. "I'm personally comfortable as a First Amendment scholar with the media reporting using unnamed sources. I think responsible journalism can rely on unnamed sources.
"But we cannot launch official investigations whenever the media report on the basis of unnamed sources. In my mind, the rules for each of the two are completely different."
Earlier this week the University admitted to two NCAA violations involving Martin. Martin was allegedly present at the home of Michigan center Robert Traylor while Michigan coach Steve Fisher made an official recruiting visit. Martin also reportedly gave a birthday cake to an unidentified Michigan player after practice.
However, it was also reported that Martin attempted to put down a $1,400 security deposit for an apartment for two Michigan players and send airline tickets to family members of players. Along with the alleged payments, these are major NCAA violations that could land Michigan in serious trouble, with penalties including probation and scholarship reductions.
Michigan's report to the NCAA said Fisher "thwarted" Martin's offers regarding the security deposit and the airline tickets, thus avoiding the violation of any NCAA rules.
"We're committed to having a program with no violations whatsoever," Bollinger said. "There has been a thorough investigation by the athletic department and it has turned up only minor violations. Our principle should be we will investigate thoroughly any credible allegations."
Molin said he is most upset that the burden of proof in the investigation has now been shifted to the players.
"These kids have to prove themselves innocent," Molin said. "You're guilty until you can prove yourself otherwise, and that is such a tragedy. But it's also a reality."