TUSCALOOSA -- At a rate of roughly two per month, Alabama has reported 44 secondary violations of NCAA rules in the past two years, more than one-third of which involve the football program.

Most of the violations are minor, with one-fourth resulting in nothing more than rules education as a correction action. Roughly one-third of the violations involve impermissible text messages to recruits.

In the two-year period, the Alabama football program reported 16 secondary violations, the women's basketball program eight and the gymnastics program six. No other program committed more than two. Seven programs -- men's and women's cross country, women's track and field, women's golf, softball, swimming and diving and men's tennis -- committed no violations.

Most universities routinely report minor violations of NCAA bylaws to their conference offices and the NCAA. The newspapers of al.com (The Birmingham News, the Press-Register of Mbile and The Huntsville Times) regularly file requests with the University of Alabama and Auburn University to view the documents under the state open-records law, which gives citizens the right to inspect public records.

Alabama's report, covering July 1, 2009 through Friday, is published on RollTide.com, the athletic department's website. The five-page report summarizes the violations, but names of student-athletes, recruits and members of the coaching staff are not included. Neither are the dates that each violation occurred.

Two of the football violations resulted in a player being suspended for two regular-season games.

According to the summary of one of the violations, a player "received impermissible transportation, entertainment, meals and lodging during two trips."

According to the summary of another violation, a player "received impermissible benefits from an agent and preferential treatment based on status" as a student-athlete.

Last summer, star defensive end Marcell Dareus was suspended for two games because of impermissible benefits he received during two May trips to Miami.

None of the football violations involved a so-called "bump" between a coach and a recruit. Last winter, Alabama coach Nick Saban was accused of violating the "bump" rule when he spoke with Barry James Sanders, the son of legendary running back Barry Sanders, at the prospect's high school in Oklahoma. When questioned about the contact with a junior, Saban said it was just a greeting. Oklahoma State suggested the rule was violated, but the high school's offensive coordinator said Saban was talking to him about Alabama's need for running backs.

Alabama reported two violations of NCAA by-law 13.10.5: publicizing a recruit's visit to the campus. In both cases, rules education was the only corrective action demanded. It isn't clear if either of those violations involved Sanders. On Feb. 19, Barry James Sanders and his father sat with Saban at an Alabama home basketball game. During the game, Saban and the younger Sanders briefly were pictured on the video board. The arena camera then zeroed in on Saban and the elder Sanders. The next day, an Alabama spokesman said the school's compliance office looked into the matter and determined no rule was violated.

One football violation involved a football player selling complimentary tickets. The player was required to repay the benefit to a charity and was withheld from competition. Additional rules education was provided to the entire team.

Another football violation involved a player providing impermissible transportation off campus to a recruit on an unofficial visit. The recruit was required to repay the benefit to charity and the player and football staff received rules education.

The other football violations were relatively minor. Three involved impermissible text messages sent to recruits. Two involved text messages sent to recruits' mothers.

In another case, a recruit called a member of the strength and conditioning staff and left a voice mail. The staff member returned the call, not realizing the person was a recruit. The consequence was a letter of admonishment and rules education, and the coaching staff was prohibited from contacting the recruit for two weeks.

The men's basketball program was cited for two violations. Impermissible text messages to recruits resulted in relatively stiff action: a 14-day ban on the entire coaching staff on sending an recruiting materials to any recruits; a 14-day ban on an assistant coach initiating calls to a recruit; a 30-day ban on the entire coaching staff on all recruiting contact with a recruit; a reduction in the number of official visits; and a letter of admonishment.

The other violation involved playing an unrecruited walk-on in two games during the December vacation period before he was declared eligible. The player later was declared eligible. The result was a letter of admonishment and rules education.

The baseball program was cited only once, for impermissible text messages, but harsher action was taken compared to text-message violations in other sports. The penalty was a five-week ban on all communication with recruits; rules education; institution of quarterly rules training regarding phone calls; and a letter of admonishment.

The women's basketball program was cited for leaving for a road game prior to 48 hours before the game; staff members taking a recruit and her father bowling along with six players; and twice exceeding the permissible number of phone calls to a recruit, among other minor violations.

Among other small violations, the gymnastics program broke rules by paying for the meal of siblings of two recruits on official visits. The recruits were required to donate to charity money equaling the cost of the meals.

The volleyball program violated a rule by beginning practice two days earlier than permissible. Besides a letter of admonishment, it was required to miss four practices during the season.

How extensive are some of the NCAA's rules in its thick manual? Consider this: While a gymnastics recruit was on an official visit, her father sent a text message to a member of the coaching staff to confirm information. The coach broke a rule by replying to the message. The corrective action was a two-week call ban for all prospects; a letter of admonishment; and a 30-day communication ban for the entire staff with the recruit.