NCAA to investigate Nevada athletics
The NCAA will investigate the Nevada athletic department next week by meeting with athletic officials and players in regards to the men’s and women’s golf teams, a press release said Monday.
The investigation, which will start Monday, correlates with former soccer coach Terri Patraw’s reports of NCAA violations against the golf teams.
The NCAA, Groth said, might look at eight allegations from Patraw that the University of Nevada, Reno compliance office acquitted from its investigation, one of which accused men’s golf coach Rich Merritt of gambling.
The NCAA did not immediately return a phone call from The Nevada Sagebrush.
“We expected this, we just didn’t know when it was going to occur,” Nevada Director of Athletics Cary Groth said. “We’re actually anxious for the NCAA to come in and hopefully verify what the university already did with their investigation.”
Merritt was suspended by the University of Nevada, Reno for three games in Sept. 2007 for giving a player a frequent flyer plane ticket, daring players to eat regurgitated food and “huck a loogie” along with per diem issues for athletes.
Patraw was fired Aug. 28 and said during her whistle blower hearing for reinstatement two weeks ago that three NCAA investigators went to her house Nov. 6 and asked her about the allegations.
Patraw said during her testimony that she was asked about the men’s basketball program by the NCAA investigators. Groth said the NCAA never mentioned allegations about the men’s basketball team.
However, Groth said she welcomed any questions from the NCAA about basketball because she still doesn’t know what the allegations are, she just knows that Patraw has reported it.
Patraw said she signed a confidentiality agreement about the basketball violations.
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