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Harvard Basketball Program Exonerated

September 3, 2008

See the statement issued by the Ivy League on September 3, as well as background links…

An inquiry by the Ivy League into allegations of improper recruiting and lowering of academic standards by the Harvard men’s basketball program—raised initially in a March 2008 New York Times article—has determined that no violations of either National Collegiate Athletic Association or Ivy League rules occurred. All the athletes admitted met the Harvard-specific standards mandated by the Ivy League.

A statement issued by the Ivy League on September 3 appears below. (For background on the allegations, see Questions About Recruiting.)

Ivy League Statement on Harvard Men’s Basketball Inquiry

Princeton, N.J. – The Ivy League has concluded its inquiry into questions raised in a March 2008 newspaper article about possible improper recruiting activity during the spring and summer of 2007, related to Harvard University’s men’s basketball program.

The League has determined that no violations of NCAA or Ivy League rules occurred. Harvard Head Coach Tommy Amaker and Assistant Coach Kenneth Blakeney were completely forthcoming in their participation in this inquiry, and interviews with others who were involved, as well as a thorough examination of relevant records, corroborated that the coaches’ contacts with prospective student-athletes and their families were entirely consistent with NCAA and Ivy League rules.

The March 2008 article also purported to raise questions about the academic credentials of students who might be admitted to Harvard as recruited men’s basketball players in the Class of 2012. The Ivy League routinely reviews the admission of all recruited athletes each year, and in this year’s review concluded that Harvard’s admission of recruited men’s basketball players complied with all relevant Ivy League obligations.