NIU self-reports 2 secondary violations
An error in paperwork turned into an NCAA secondary violation, one of two Northern Illinois University has self-reported according to reports obtained from NIU under the Freedom of Information Act.
The secondary violations came in softball and women's track and field.
NIU's softball team unknowingly began practice a week too early and explained the violation occurred because the coaching staff thought new NCAA manuals were purchased online when in fact the order wasn't processed.
The legislation to start softball practices later in the season was new this past season and, had the manuals arrived at the time the coaches thought they would have received them, the violation could have been avoided.
But by the time the coaching staff got the manuals, Sept. 9, 2008, it was too late and a violation had already happened with the first practice on Aug. 26.
A letter of admonishment was sent to NIU head softball coach Lindsay Chouinard and the team received a one-for-one penalty, meaning it lost six regular season practices. NIU also took steps to ensure that playing and practice seasons would be reviewed for all coaches.
The NCAA defines secondary violations as inadvertent or isolated incidents that don’t produce a significant recruiting or competitive advantage. Secondary violations are common as most schools report at least a handful every year to the NCAA.
In women's track and field, a transfer student-athlete who didn't declare in her online application that she was currently attending a two-year institution, did not meet transfer requirements and illegally competed in meets on Jan. 10, Jan. 17, Feb. 6 and Feb. 20 of this year.
The violation was discovered on March 18. NIU forwarded a self-imposed $2,000 fine to NCAA Enforcement and will not seek reinstatement for the student-athlete.
