Brown football

Text of the Ivy League announcement about Brown’s rules violations

On Tuesday, August 1, 2000, the Council of Ivy Group Presidents announced its final disposition of a case involving violations of Ivy League athletics rules on the part of Brown University. The text of that announcement follows here.

Statement on behalf of the Council of Ivy Group Presidents
from Jeffrey H. Orleans, Executive Director
August 1, 2000

At its regular summer meeting on July 27, 2000, the Council of Ivy Group Presidents reviewed questions concerning the involvement by Brown University staff members in the award of financial support from outside sources to a number of recruited athletes at Brown. The Ivy League Office and Brown investigated this matter earlier this year, after which the League Office imposed, and Brown agreed to, a number of remedial measures for violations of both Ivy League and NCAA rules.

In reporting on the meeting, Columbia President George Rupp, Chair of the Council, stated: “The Council views compliance with Ivy and NCAA rules as a basic obligation of League membership, and intends to assure that remedies in serious compliance cases fully emphasize this obligation for all Ivy League schools and for all supporters of Ivy League athletics. The League’s prohibition against any special financial aid for athletes is perhaps the most fundamental of all League rules, which is why the Council is determined to make clear that the remedies for violations of this rule will be severe. Accordingly, the Council increased some of the specific remedies that were imposed initially.”

The Council’s principal actions involve two additional remedies with regard to football. First, the Brown football team will not be eligible for the Ivy League championship in the 2000 season. This is the first instance in which the Council of Presidents has ruled a team ineligible for an Ivy championship. Second, the number of first-year recruited football players that Brown will be permitted to matriculate will be reduced by five in the fall of 2001 (the Class of 2005), as initially recommended by the Ivy Office, and by five more in the fall of 2002 (the Class of 2006). Refinements to the original recruitment remedies also were added in three other sports. These actions do not affect the remedies for NCAA violations announced in the spring, which the NCAA had determined to be “secondary”, and the NCAA has verified the eligibility of all involved students.

In addition, the Council concluded that the Executive Director of the Brown Sports Foundation should be prohibited indefinitely, rather than for one year, from direct or indirect contact with Brown University prospective student-athletes, or from providing services or benefits to enrolled student-athletes. Brown already has begun an overall review of the Brown Sports Foundation, a process the Ivy Office originally required.

Speaking for the Council, President Rupp commended Brown for the clear commitment to compliance with Ivy and NCAA rules that it has demonstrated since these matters first were identified, and expressed confidence in Brown’s future adherence to these and all other Ivy League rules.

Commenting on the Council’s actions, Brown President Sheila Blumstein stated, “We regret the loss of the opportunity to be eligible for the Ivy Championship in football and the impact this decision will have on our student-athletes. Brown has always championed the principles of the Ivy League, and we recognize our responsibility to affirm these principles as we move forward.”

CONTACT: Jeffrey H. Orleans, Executive Director, 609-258-6426