The University of Minnesota will hold its men's basketball team out of postseason tournament play for a year because of alleged academic cheating in the program, school President Mark Yudof said Tuesday.
The postseason ban includes the NCAA and NIT but not the Big Ten tournament, Yudof said.
The school also is putting the program on probation for an unspecified length of time. That will mean higher levels of reporting to the NCAA, such as periodic self-studies and compliance checks, Yudof said.
An investigation into the men's basketball program began in March, after former tutor Jan Gangelhoff claimed she had done more than 400 pieces of course work for at least 20 basketball players from 1993 to 1998.
The investigation has since widened to include accusations of improper payments and travel irregularities, and alleged sexual and other misconduct in the men's athletics department.
Yudof said the university and the NCAA may impose more sanctions after the final university report is completed, probably by Nov. 10. The report is expected to be made public about 10 days later.
Yudof said he realized some current basketball team members may feel the sanctions are unfair, but said, "We must demonstrate good faith and take meaningful action to repair the damage that has been done by others."
NCAA spokeswoman Jane Jankowski said the organization would not comment specifically on the sanctions. But she said it was appropriate and common for schools to come up with their own punishments.
Coach Clem Haskins resigned under pressure in June and accepted a $1.5-million buyout of his contract. He has said he had no knowledge of any academic cheating in the basketball program. Dan Monson of Gonzaga was hired to replace Haskins.
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The exhibition opener for the UCLA men's basketball team Nov. 10 at Pauley Pavilion will be against a club from Lithuania instead of the Chinese national team, as originally scheduled. . . . Chris Walton, the youngest son of Hall of Famer Bill Walton, has turned down a scholarship offer from UCLA and verbally committed to play for San Diego State. . . . Penny Hardaway's debut with the Phoenix Suns will be delayed after he and fellow guard Rex Chapman were fined and suspended for the opening game next Tuesday at Denver without pay for their part in an altercation in an exhibition game against the Miami Heat. . . . Precautionary X-rays of Scottie Pippen's injured left index finger revealed no fracture, but the Portland Trail Blazer forward is wearing a splint and will sit out the last two exhibition games.
