LSU football hit with probation, fine and more as NCAA announces penalties

Baton Rouge, LA – 08.04.2021
– Louisiana State University Football and Basketball Stadium Area

Baton Rouge, LA – 08.04.2021 – Louisiana State University Football and Basketball Stadium Area

Posted: Sep 22, 2022 / 01:05 PM CDT

Updated: Sep 22, 2022 / 01:05 PM CDT

INDIANAPOLIS. Ind. (BRPROUD) – The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions has handed down their panel’s decision on LSU’s football recruiting violations.

According to the NCAA, “the LSU football program violated recruiting rules when a former assistant coach and former assistant director of recruiting met separately with a prospect during the COVID-19 recruiting dead period and provided the prospect with impermissible recruiting inducements.”

The penalties imposed on LSU are provided below:

One year of probation.
A $5,000 fine (self-imposed).
A limit of official visits for football to 55 during the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
A one-week prohibition against unofficial visits to the football program prior to the beginning of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
A one-week prohibition against recruiting communications in the football program prior to the start of the 2022-23 academic year (self-imposed).
A reduction of seven evaluation days in the football program during the fall 2021 evaluation period (self-imposed).
A three-year show-cause order for the former assistant coach. During that period, any NCAA member school employing him must restrict him from any off-campus recruiting activities unless it shows cause why the restrictions should not apply.

“Although the [committee] has encountered more egregious conduct in past cases, the violations, in this case, represent intentional misconduct that should be of concern to the membership,” the panel said in its decision. “The COVID-19 recruiting dead period was intended to protect the health and safety of prospects, student-athletes and institutional staff. It also leveled the playing field for recruiting at a time when government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions varied across the country.”

The chief hearing officer on the panel, Dave Roberts, spoke with the media at 12pmCT.

LSU responded to the NCAA’s decision with this statement below:

“Today’s decision of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions involving a former LSU assistant football coach concludes a 21-month cooperative process between the University and the NCAA. Throughout this process, the University has worked in concert with the enforcement staff to determine the truth and to self-impose sanctions. We are grateful to the Committee and the enforcement staff for their work and for accepting our self-imposed penalties, and we are pleased to be able to move forward as an institution and as a football program. LSU continues to work through the IARP process regarding other allegations of rule violations.”

LSU is hosting New Mexico on Saturday night in Death Valley.

You can find more information about the NCAA Division I Committee decision here.