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| | Friday, September 1 NCAA suspends 26 Badgers | |||||
| Associated Press MADISON, Wis. -- The NCAA suspended 26 Wisconsin football players Thursday for one to three games for receiving unadvertised discounts at a shoe store, forcing the Badgers to bench 11 players for their opener. The 11 suspended for the No. 4 (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today) Badgers' game with Western Michigan on Thursday night included starting receivers Chris Chambers and Nick Davis, cornerback Jamar Fletcher, offensive lineman Ben Johnson and linebacker Bryson Thompson. Eleven of the 26, including Fletcher, Davis, Johnson and Chambers, were suspended for three games for receiving benefits of more than $500, school officials said. Another 15 players, including running back Michael Bennett, defensive tackle Wendell Bryant, cornerback Mike Echols and Thompson, were suspended for one game and ordered to do 12 hours of community service. "I stand by my kids," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said after the Badgers' 19-7 victory over Western Michigan. "People need to understand that there was no intent to do any wrong. ... I really didn't think our guys did anything wrong. "I couldn't be more proud of a staff and a group of players to respond the way they did. That's got to be unprecedented to go through what we went through today. This may be the longest day I've ever had to go through in coaching." Chambers' suspension could be an especially tough blow to the Badgers. The team's leading receiver from last season was already sidelined by a stress fracture in his right foot that was expected to keep him out until at least the end of September. School officials aren't sure if he will be allowed to serve the suspension while injured, meaning he could miss more than half the season. Alvarez said the issue hadn't been resolved, but said jokingly: "Chris is walking tonight. ... I didn't say he was injured." The NCAA ordered all 26 players to serve the suspensions within the first four games of the season. The other six suspended for Thursday's game were: Delante McGrew, George Pratt, Ryan Simmons, Chuck Smith, Stephon Watson and Scott Wille. "I think you have tremendous disappointment. You have to feel for them," Wisconsin athletics director Pat Richter said. "We felt this was not warranted." Alvarez, who said he never expected his players would be suspended until meeting with the NCAA 10 days ago, hasn't completely decided when the remaining suspensions will be served. The suspensions stem from reports last month that members of the football and men's basketball teams may have received special credit arrangements at The Shoe Box in Black Earth, Wis., that were not available to other clients. The players suspended for Thursday's game were not available for comment afterward. "Those guys we lost, we love them to death, but they're got to do their time, and we've got to move on and play," Badgers defensive end Wendell Bryant said. "We take pride when we play in Camp Randall. That's something we hold sacred." Another 21 players, including starting quarterback Brooks Bollinger, were not suspended but were ordered to perform 24 hours of community service for the discounts they received. Women's soccer player Wynter Pero was also suspended for two games and ordered to do 24 hours of community service. All will be required to repay the discounts they received. The school also investigated allegations that some athletes may have exchanged university-issued shoes for merchandise but found no evidence of that so far, said Melany Newby, vice chancellor for legal and executive affairs. A report in the Wisconsin State Journal detailed purchases by eight members of the Badgers' Final Four men's basketball team and 14 players from the Rose Bowl champion football team. The paper reported players received discounts of 25 percent to 40 percent and interest-free credit. The university and NCAA still have to review the eligibility of winter athletes, who also could face penalties. The NCAA notified the university Monday that 81 fall athletes would be ineligible in various capacities. Richter said the university appealed the finding, and the NCAA then decided to knock down the number of athletes required to serve suspensions and pay reparations to 48. Richter said the university proposed lighter sanctions when they made their initial report to the NCAA, and many of the players told NCAA officials they did not know they had violated any rules. "This was a shock to them," Richter said. NCAA spokesman Wally Renfro confirmed the suspensions but would not comment specifically on the infractions. Shoe Box owner Steve Schmitt said Thursday he talked to university officials several times about the discounts he offered players, which he said are extended to all his regular customers. Schmitt has men's basketball season tickets and has donated money to the university in the past, which would qualify him as a booster under NCAA rules. Newby said the university's investigation was continuing and the school had not made a recommendation to the NCAA whether the violations constitute a major or secondary violation. But the players' transgressions individually were ruled to be secondary. If the purchases constitute a major rules violation, it would be the third such infraction within the last decade for the university. The wrestling program was put on probation in 1994 for improper use of booster funds that included impermissible benefits to athletes, a major rules violation. Last year, the NCAA found the athletic department had committed a major rules infraction because coaches and staff members received reimbursement for expenses from a boosters fund without approval from the chancellor. That probation was scheduled to end in November. Still, the NCAA Committee on Infractions did not penalize the university under repeat violator rules last year, partly because Wisconsin self-reported the violations. | ALSO SEE The day after, Wisconsin wrestles with suspensions Wisconsin sputters to 19-7 win over Western Michigan AUDIO/VIDEO   Athletic Director Pat Richter disagrees with the severity of the punishment.wav: 193 k RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6 | |||||