The LSU Athletic Department has submitted a report to the NCAA and Southeastern Conference offices about its internal investigation involving a potential NCAA violation.
LSU announced in November that it was launching an investigation involving an assistant coach and player. Multiple reports have speculated that the coach and player involved are former wide receivers coach D.J. McCarthy and defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, a junior college player who transferred to LSU in 2009.
The release says the assistant coach and player in question have both left the University. McCarthy resigned in December, and Hicks, who did not play in any games in 2009, was no longer enrolled in the University by the start of the spring semester.
Some of the possible violations include improper telephone calls, transportation before and after the athlete’s visit to LSU and housing at a reduced rate in an apartment in Baton Rouge, according to a news release.
“As disappointed as I am in the violations that occurred, I have an equal amount of pride in our compliance office’s quick actions, in our thorough investigation and in our reactions to the findings,” Chancellor Michael Martin said in the release. “I believe we have avoided potentially more severe sanctions because we self-detected these violations early and took immediate disciplinary measures.”
LSU has also outlined a plan it will use to help prevent any similar possible NCAA violations. The plan includes the following provisions:
1) Disallowing recruits to move to Baton Rouge unless the recruit and coach obtain permission from the LSU Athletic Department2) Develop a program that will educate student workers about NCAA rules and monitor their actions3) Enhancing the “Unofficial Visitation Form” to include more detailed descriptions of recruits’ transportation, housing and meals4) LSU is currently reviewing its methods of recording telephone logs of recruits and coaches. It will include in the future procedures that ensure “notification and follow-up” when a coach fails to complete a phone log
Martin sent the report to members of LSU’s compliance staff and two attorneys that helped the University with the investigation — Bob Burton and Mike Glazier.
“It is a very serious matter any time violations of NCAA rules are discovered, but I take comfort in the fact we have a compliance program in place that discovered these issues early and took swift action to minimize the severity of the situation,” Athletic Director and Vice Chancellor Joe Alleva said in the release. “We stand ready to assist the NCAA with any further information they may need to complete this process.”
 
STATEMENT FROM SENIOR ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR HERB VINCENT.
 
For immediate release: March 23, 2010LSU SENDS RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION TO NCAANote: Report to NCAA Attached BATON ROUGE – LSU has delivered to the NCAA a report detailing violations in its football program involving primarily one former assistant coach and one former student-athlete following an exhaustive internal investigation that began in September.LSU announced in November that an internal investigation had been launched into possible violations of NCAA rules in its football program. Since that time, the two individuals who were the focus of the investigation have left the university. The student-athlete, who transferred to LSU last summer, never played in a game for the Tiger football team.“As disappointed as I am in the violations that occurred, I have an equal amount of pride in our compliance office’s quick actions, in our thorough investigation and in our reactions to the findings,” said LSU chancellor Michael Martin. “I believe we have avoided potentially more severe sanctions because we self-detected these violations early and took immediate disciplinary measures.”The 55-page report was delivered to the NCAA office Tuesday. The NCAA will review the report to determine if additional interviews are necessary in order to complete a full evaluation of the violations.“It is a very serious matter any time violations of NCAA rules are discovered, but I take comfort in the fact we have a compliance program in place that discovered these issues early and took swift action to minimize the severity of the situation,” said Joe Alleva, vice chancellor and director of athletics. “We stand ready to assist the NCAA with any further information they may need to complete this process.”Upon the discovery of potential rules violations in September, the student-athlete was not permitted to participate in varsity athletic contests and the assistant coach was restricted from participating in recruiting activities for LSU. The assistant coach resigned from the university in December and the student-athlete left the university prior to the spring semester.The investigation centered around the recruitment and transfer of the student-athlete from a junior college to LSU in the summer of 2009 and the assistant coach’s role in the recruitment and transfer process. LSU discovered potential violations associated with impermissible telephone calls to the student-athlete during the recruitment process, impermissible transportation before and after the student-athlete’s arrival at LSU, impermissible housing and reduced-rent at an apartment complex in Baton Rouge in the three months prior to the student-athlete’s enrollment at LSU, and the purchase of one meal by a football office student worker.LSU, in the report to the NCAA, outlined a plan to strengthen its internal procedures for authorizing the engagement of prospective student-athletes who move to Baton Rouge prior to enrollment, to enhance its rules educations and monitoring process for student workers, the completion of more detailed administrative forms and a thorough review of policies pertaining to the maintenance of telephone logs. 
–lsu—
Contact:Herb VincentAssociate Vice Chancellor, Communications & University Relations/Senior Associate Athletic DirectorPhone: (225) 578-1863[email protected]