On Friday, the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions (COI) announced that the University of Miami would be placed on a one-year probationary period. The NCAA ruled that Miami’s women’s basketball coach Katie Meier violated their rules. She inadvertently helped arrange impermissible contact between two prospects and a booster.
The NCAA began enforcement on a probation period Friday. Meier already served a self-imposed three-game suspension in anticipation of the NCAA’s ruling, according to The Athletic. The NCAA ruled the school must pay $5,000 plus one percent of the women’s basketball budget. They also will likely hand out multiple recruiting violations to Miami.
The NCAA reportedly didn’t reference the players or boosters involved in its findings. But, they referenced a photo posted to Twitter that included a photo of Miami booster John Ruiz and twin recruits from Fresno State. Ruiz posted the photo in question to his public Twitter account on April 13. He posed for a photo with twin basketball stars, Haley and Hanna Cavinder.
Wishing the Cavinder twins all the best in their quest to find their next home to play basketball. Amazing young ladies as well as mom and dad. @CavinderHaley @CavinderHanna @johnnyruiz4 @alex7ruiz @cristinaeruiz pic.twitter.com/yr0Cz0XsLk
— John H. Ruiz, CEO LifeWallet and Attorney at Law (@JohnHRuiz) April 14, 2022
Ruiz’s meeting offered no influence on their decision, the Cavinder twins told the NCAA. But the NCAA launched an investigation based on the social media post. Investigators found that Meier and Ruiz contacted and discussed the Cavinder twins. Nobody besides Meier and the University is subject to any sanctions.
The NCAA, according to The Associated Press, was “troubled” to find out that Miami hasn’t dissociated itself from Ruiz.
“Boosters are involved with prospects and student-athletes in ways the NCAA membership has never seen or encountered,” the NCAA said via The AP. “In that way, addressing impermissible booster conduct is critical, and the disassociation penalty presents an effective penalty available to the (committee on infractions).”
A dissociation penalty would be inappropriate given the timeline of events and based on an impermissible meal and impermissible contact. But the NCAA has officially started to crack down on Name, Image, and Likeness infractions.
It remains to be seen how the rest of the college sports world reacts to boosters having improper contact with recruits.
“Although the parties asserted that a disassociation penalty would be inappropriate based on an impermissible meal and an impermissible contact, today’s new NIL-related environment represents a new day,” the NCAA said.
[The Athletic, Associated Press]
