SEATTLE — University of Washington’s baseball program has been placed on probation for one year after the NCAA ruled the school had committed recruiting violations by paying for the travel of parents accompanying prospects on official visits.
The university will also be fined $5,000 and have its official visits for the 2020-21 academic year reduced from 25 to 18.
Washington self-reported the violations in early 2019 to the NCAA. The school found the baseball program had impermissibly arranged for and paid $7,795 in airfare for 23 parents of 14 prospects. Three of those prospects became student-athletes and competed prior to the school seeking re-instatement, resulting in them competing while ineligible.
“The violations reflected weaknesses in the university’s monitoring of recruiting travel administration and related education,” the Division I Committee on Infractions said in its decision. “In turn, this permitted violations to occur over three academic years.”
The committee said the violations occurred due to a lack of understanding between the compliance office and the baseball program following a compliance education session in which coaches were reminded that schools can pay travel expenses only for football and basketball official visits.
