Tech doesn't agree with NCAA punishment

Georgia Tech, which prides itself on integrity and doing things honorably, found itself in an embarrassing position of responding to a second severe NCAA probation in five years.

In a 20-month investigation that included dozens of pages of back and forth, a 23-page final report charged Tech with intentionally misleading NCAA investigators into what began as a minor inquiry into $312 worth of clothes given to Demaryius Thomas. As part of penalties, the NCAA stripped the Yellow Jackets of their 2009 ACC championship in football and placed the school on four years’ probation. The school finished a two-year probation in 2007.

Wearing matching blue suits and grim faces, neither athletic director Dan Radakovich nor President G.P. “Bud” Peterson said they agreed with the results and didn’t appreciate characterizations of combativeness. Facing dozens of media members with coach Paul Johnson sitting and watching nearby, Peterson and Radakovich stressed that they cooperated fully with the NCAA in all of its inquiries, which began in November 2009.

“Georgia Tech is committed to integrity of its athletic program, including full operation and support of the NCAA,” Peterson said. “I don’t believe anyone did anything or took actions to hinder or impede investigation.”

Because it received the results of the investigation less than a day before the news conference, Peterson said Tech is deciding if it will appeal any part of the penalties that also included:

-- $100,000 fine that will be paid by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.

-- Public reprimand and censure.

-- A reduction of two men’s basketball recruiting days during the 2011 summer evaluation period (self-imposed by the university).

-- A limit of 10 official visits for men’s basketball for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years. Basketball started as a separate investigation into improper scouting, but was folded into the football inquiry.

“This is not a proud day for me,” said Radakovich, who characterized himself as a man of integrity who tries to run his athletic program the same way. “Georgia Tech should not be placed in a position where its integrity is challenged.”

Dennis Thomas, the head of the NCAA infractions committee, said Tech’s attitude and its previous history of violations factored into its punishment decisions. After receiving penalties for the 2005 and ’06 seasons for infractions that occurred in the 1990s, the NCAA said that if Tech committed another major infraction before Nov. 17, 2010, it would be subject to added penalties as a repeat violator.

However, he said this recent episode would have been a minor issue, but “the school’s lack of cooperation compounded the seriousness of this case.” The committee stated in its report, “This case provides a cautionary tale of conduct that member institutions should avoid while under investigation for violations of NCAA rules.” Thomas stressed that the NCAA didn’t try to make an example of Tech. It decided punishments based upon the facts. However, he did stress that Tech simply didn’t cooperate as enthusiastically as it should have.

The snowball started rolling, according to the report, when Demaryius Thomas was invited to his cousin Earl’s house in Atlanta on Oct. 17, 2009. He and teammate Morgan Burnett drove there. Thomas told investigators on Nov. 18 that year that when they arrived Herbert Hilliard, Earl’s roommate, gave them clothes.

Thomas was interviewed again Nov. 24 and said that the clothing actually came from his cousin, which wouldn’t have been a violation because the two have had a long-standing relationship. He also said Burnett didn’t receive anything. Burnett also stated that during his interview on Nov. 19. The NCAA later agreed and cleared Burnett.

Thomas later returned all of the clothing, with the tags intact, with the exception of a $45 pair of tennis shoes. Thomas on Thursday denied that he was one of the reasons for the investigation. In a text message, Thomas said he was offered things by people not affiliated with Tech, but never accepted. Burnett texted that he “did not knowingly or unknowingly receive any gifts from any agents ... These reports are baseless and false.”

Once the investigation began, Paul Parker, the former associate athletics director for compliance, told Radakovich what was going on. Saying that they’ve always had an honest relationship and figuring that the players would talk to coach Paul Johnson anyway, he decided to tell Johnson about the investigation. However, he didn’t inform him that he shouldn’t talk to Burnett about the investigation. Johnson did, not knowing that he couldn’t. The NCAA said they explicitly told Tech officials not to talk about the investigation with any players, saying it could hinder its investigation. Looking back, Radakovich said he would have told the NCAA that he was going to talk to Johnson.

“There was no intent to influence testimony,” Radakovich said. “We cooperated fully during process.”