UM’s Donna Shalala blasts NCAA after review finds staffers acted inappropriately
The NCAA case involving the University of Miami will continue — but without about 20 percent of the information the governing body of college athletics has deemed tainte
d because of its own “improper conduct” during the investigation, according to NCAA President Mark Emmert on Monday.
In response, UM President Donna Shalala indicated Monday evening she is fed up with the drama, and implored the NCAA in a lengthy statement to “bring this to a closure.”
Said Shalala: “We believe strongly in the principles and values of fairness and due process. However, we have been wronged in this investigation, and we believe that this process must come to a swift resolution, which includes no additional punitive measures beyond those already self-imposed.”
Among the findings revealed in the 52-page report:
• The NCAA paid $18,000 of a requested $57,115 to the lawyer of former UM booster Nevin Shapiro.
• The NCAA paid $8,200 to fund communications with Shapiro from jail, including the transfer of $4,500 to the prison commissary account from which Shapiro pays for the communications.
Despite Shalala’s objections, expect the Notice of Allegations in the nearly 2-year-old case to arrive soon at UM and to any involved individuals. Judging by the national teleconference Monday led by Emmert and outside counsel Kenneth L. Wainstein, it appears there will be no swift settlement between UM and the NCAA.
