Statements from Oklahoma State University regarding today's NCAA announcement.

STILLWATER, Okla., April 24, 2015 Burns Hargis, President Oklahoma State University “We respect and accept the decision of the Division I Committee on Infractions and are very thankful for their review of this matter. The Committee agreed with our position that only two of the three allegations were established and those two findings did not warrant significant penalties. While the institution diligently strives to avoid any NCAA infractions, these findings did not result from deliberate actions by institutional personnel to violate NCAA legislation. From the moment Sports Illustrated made serious allegations against the Oklahoma State University football program in September 2013, we were committed to finding the truth. We retained an outside consultant and in conjunction with the NCAA Enforcement Staff, a thorough review was conducted, resulting in a joint statement by the Enforcement Staff and the institution in October 2014 that the allegations of misconduct as reported by the media in September 2013 were fundamentally unfounded. As we bring this matter to a close, we were gratified that the Committee on Infractions recognized OSU’s exemplary cooperation and its affirmative steps to expedite final resolution of the matter. We appreciate the professionalism and diligence of the NCAA Enforcement Staff throughout the process. We are pleased to have this matter resolved. We are eager to move forward and excited about the future of Oklahoma State football. Oklahoma State University is committed to operating its sports programs with integrity, and I am pleased with the way Mike Holder and Mike Gundy are instilling that integrity in our football program.” Mike Holder, Vice President of Athletics "We are pleased to bring closure to this matter and provide certainty to our football program. I appreciate the NCAA's thorough review and the work of our outside consultant. I also appreciate Coach Gundy's commitment to playing by the rules and his concern for the welfare of our student-athletes. As I said from the beginning, we expect all of our athletic programs to comply with the rules." NCAA Release

NCAA, Oklahoma State University issue joint statement

Joint statement by the NCAA and Oklahoma State University concerning an inquiry into the OSU football program after Sports Illustrated published a series of stories alleging a number of serious improprieties.

(STILLWATER, Okla., October 21, 2014) -- After a thorough review by the NCAA Enforcement Staff and an outside consultant hired by Oklahoma State University, allegations of misconduct in the Oklahoma State football program as reported by the media in September 2013 were fundamentally unfounded. Although a few individuals outside the university refused to cooperate, investigators reviewed approximately 50,000 emails and interviewed nearly 100 individuals involved with Oklahoma State’s football program, including current and former coaches, administrators, student-athletes, students and prospects. Oklahoma State fully cooperated with the NCAA Enforcement Staff and participated in the interviews. As a result of the information collected during these joint interviews, the NCAA will issue a notice of allegations detailing three possible Level II violations.

V. Burns Hargis, President of Oklahoma State University

October 21, 2014 Statement regarding the joint statement issued today by the NCAA and Oklahoma State University, as well as the report of The Compliance Group concerning an inquiry into the OSU football program after Sports Illustrated published a series of stories alleging a number of serious improprieties. “After serious claims were made in September of last year against our football program by Sports Illustrated, we announced that we would engage a recognized consultant to do a thorough investigation of the allegations. It ultimately was determined that the NCAA Enforcement Staff and the University’s consultant would jointly conduct the inquiry. If we had done something wrong or were doing something wrong, we wanted to know. We also pledged to act upon what we learned and take appropriate corrective steps. “Over the next 13 months, the NCAA Enforcement Staff and our consultant, former NCAA Enforcement official, Chuck Smrt, undertook a very thorough review of the University’s football program. The inquiry focused on former and current recruiting activities and other aspects of our football program. The inquiry reviewed approximately 50,000 emails and documents, and included nearly 100 interviews of current and former administrators, coaches, staff, student-athletes, students and prospects as well as alumni and donors, a number of whom were mentioned in the SI articles. Based on that review, we learned that the Sports Illustrated claims of monetary payments for athletic achievements, improper academic assistance provided by our academic services staff, rampant drug use and inappropriate interaction with football players during recruiting trips were fundamentally unfounded. “During the extensive inquiry, a few situations were identified which led to three allegations in a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA where it appears we may have misapplied our drug testing policy and on-campus recruiting practices. While we question whether these matters warrant a Level II designation, as indicated by the Enforcement Staff in the Notice of Allegations, we have modified our policies and practices in these specific matters to ensure compliance. The institution will prepare a response to the allegations and appear before the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions in the near future. The Committee on Infractions will review the positions of the Enforcement Staff and the University on the nature of each allegation. We look forward to our appearance before the Committee on Infractions to present our positions. “We appreciate the Enforcement Staff’s professionalism and thoroughness throughout the inquiry. “I also appreciate the work of our Vice President of Athletics, Mike Holder, and head football coach, Mike Gundy, to create a positive culture in our football program and build a consistently winning program the right way by adhering to the rules while promoting the welfare of our student-athletes.”