April 30, 2002
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Kentucky President Lee T. Todd Jr. announced today that the university has submitted its appeal to the NCAA Infractions Appeal Committee regarding the ban on postseason eligibility for the 2002 football season.
In announcing the appeal Todd stated, “The University of Kentucky has a great amount of respect for the NCAA enforcement process, the enforcement staff and the Committee on Infractions. Throughout this process, the university has been treated fairly by the staff and the committee. We are not disputing or appealing any of the infractions that were presented. In fact, the university and the committee share a similar goal: upholding integrity in intercollegiate athletics. However, we are appealing the postseason bowl ban so that our football student-athletes and coaches have the opportunity to hope that they could compete in postseason competition following the fall 2002 season.”
The university’s appeal is based on the university’s belief that the postseason ban is an excessive and inappropriate penalty when considered with the other significant penalties imposed in this case and the other factors normally reviewed by the Committee on Infractions when penalties are assessed. The university also believes that the Committee on Infractions was incorrect in its position that the university received a significant recruitment advantage, which dictated the imposition of the postseason ban. In the appeal, the university shows that there was no significant recruiting advantage gained.
The Infractions Appeal Committee will begin its review of the appeal and schedule a hearing for the review. No date has been set for that process. The university originally indicated that the appeal would only be a written submission. However, based on the desire to give our players the hope of postseason competition, Todd made the decision to appear before the committee and be available to answer any questions they may have.
“The vast majority of our football players and coaches were not involved in the violations, and these are the individuals who are trying to rebuild the program the right way. This effort to overturn the postseason ban is about supporting them and providing an incentive for their efforts to restore credibility to UK football,” Todd stated.
