Michael Bonner

The Clarion-Ledger

STARKVILLE – The NCAA funded a Mississippi State basketball assistant’s camp for nearly a decade before discovering it was impermissible.

Last June, MSU’s director of operations Jason Ludwig, worked a free one-day camp in Los Angeles as part of the Latino Basketball Coaches Association, as he had been for nearly 10 years as a co-founder. The camp was for underprivileged kids in grades 3 through 8 and was funded by a grant from the NCAA.

The problem is the NCAA defines prospective student athletes as seventh- and eighth-graders, which means the assistant was illegally recruiting.

The secondary violation was one of 11 the university reported to the SEC and NCAA last year, which The Clarion-Ledger obtained through an open records request.

MSU and Ludwig weren’t penalized for the violation. The camp will limit its participation to those in grades 3 through 6 moving forward. The SEC accepted the self-imposed restriction.

The men’s basketball program committed five secondary violations since Ben Howland took over last year. All five involved recruiting. The stiffest penalty involved Howland not being allowed to recruit off campus for 30 days.

Women’s basketball had the second-most secondary violations, with three. Football had two while men’s track and field and women’s soccer both had one.

The most severe violation committed by the Mississippi State football program involved two walk-ons that weren’t enrolled as full-time students.

The walk-ons practiced with the team for three weeks. The mix-up came as MSU transitioned to a new athletic academic director. The program removed the players from the team and allowed them to return once they became full-time students.

The SEC added the stipulation that both players had to sit out three weeks if they returned to the team.

The most common theme throughout all programs involved food.

In the fall of 2014, the women’s basketball and football teams received $20 in post-game meals, instead of the regulated $15. The players from each sport were declared ineligible until they repaid the difference to a charity of their choice.

MSU implemented the same penalty for two basketball prospective student athletes. Their meals along with their families’ cost $45.69 apiece. MSU guidelines state a meal can’t exceed $40.

The men’s track team also committed a food-related violation in the amount of $15.72. The school reimbursed the prospective student-athlete for meals paid outside of the 48-hour official visit window. The total came to $15.72, which the athlete had to pay in order to regain his eligibility if he attended Mississippi State.

Here are all 11 violations during an eight-month period covered by the open records request. Violations that occurred before this period but weren’t discovered until this time have been included below.

Occurred: 9/20/14

Sport: Football, women’s basketball

Violation type: Awards and benefits

Summary: Players in football and women’s basketball were given $5 more than what is permissible for post-game meal money ($15). Compliance noticed $20 was listed for post-game meal money for football and women’s basketball. Compliance immediately questioned it and discovered the practice had been going on since the fall when the school raised the per diem dinner rate for employees from $15 to $20. All student athletes involved were declared ineligible until a repayment in the amount each was overpaid was made to their choice of charity. Rules education was provided to all involved. The SEC required MSU to issue letters of admonishment to all involved.

Occurred: 1/31/15

Sport: Women’s basketball

Violation type: Playing seasons

Summary: The women’s basketball team wasn’t given proper time off. During the week of Jan. 25-31 MSU did not have a day off. MSU played three games on Jan. 26, 29 and Feb. 1. Following the final game MSU had two consecutive days off. The coaching staff misinterpreting bylaw 17.1.4.7 that “the purpose of the bylaw was not to put a team in a situation where they are left with only one day to prepare for an opponent” and that ample time must be provided “before or after a given week.” While the staff felt it was permissible. the NCAA disagreed. The compliance office met with the women’s basketball staff to clarify bylaw 17.1.4.7.

Occurred: 4/9/15

Sport: Men’s Outdoor Track

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: A legal guardian of prospective student athlete (PSA) was reimbursed while in transit for official visit. The guardian was reimbursed for meals and snacks while in transit to the official visit. The total amount was $15.72. MSU sent the coach a letter of admonishment. The PSA was declared ineligible. Should he enroll at MSU, he will have to repay $15.72 to a charity of his choice.

Occurred: 4/11/15

Sport: Women’s Soccer

Violation type: Playing seasons

Summary: The head coach failed to give the team a day off during the week. MSU was supposed to practice on Friday, April 3, 2015, but voted to practice on Sunday, April 5, 2015, due to a last-minute schedule change. The staff failed to adjust the practice schedule for the following Sunday-to-Saturday week. The team participated in two games during the week of April 5 and didn’t adjust the schedule. Coach received a letter of admonishment for his actions. The team was required to take two days off during the week of April 12.

Occurred: 4/16/15

Sport: Men’s basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: An impermissible off-campus recruiter was permitted to eat meals with a prospect on an official visit. On April 16 and 17, a basketball coach (redacted) hosted a PSA on his official visit. During the same weekend, the coach interviewed (redacted), who was allowed to be present during official visit meals.The coach received a letter of admonishment for his actions.The SEC required MSU to reduce the number of recruiting days for men’s basketball by five.

Occurred: 6/7/15

Sport: Men’s basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: An official visit exceeded the 48-hour period. On the weekend of June 5-7, a PSA’s official visit exceeded the 48-hour limit by three hours. The visit began on June 5 at 9 a.m. The PSA left campus on June 7 with an assistant coach (redacted) at 9 a.m. for Birmingham airport. He was dropped off at noon. The coach thought the 48-hour period didn’t including time to the airport. The coach received a letter of admonishment for his actions. All of the men’s basketball coaches were reminded of the NCAA bylaws and were reviewed at a department wide compliance meeting. Upon discovery of the violation, the school ceased recruitment of the PSA.

Occurred: 6/12/15

Sport: Men’s basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: Jason Ludwig, MSU’s director of basketball operations worked a camp with seventh- and eighth-graders on June 13, 2015, It was a free one-day camp in Los Angeles as part of the Latino Basketball Coaches Association. The camp was for underprivileged children in grades 3 through 8. The assistant had been participating in the camp for nearly 10 years from a grant provided by NCAA. However, it is a violation for a school’s representative to work with athletes in the seventh and eighth grade. Mississippi State moving forward limited the assistant to open the camp from grades 3 through 6.

Occurred: 7/10/15

Sport: Men’s Basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

A coach (redacted) had a conversation with two people associated with a prospect.The conversation pertained to the poor quality of the basketball event in Atlanta. They also discussed how they need to take corrective measures to make the events better for the development of prospects. As penalty, the coach received a letter of admonishment for his actions. Coach was not allowed to recruit off-campus for 15 days of the fall of 2015 recruiting period. The SEC also prevented Ben Howland from participating in any off-campus recruiting for an additional 15 days.

Occurred: 7/13/15

Sport: Women’s basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: A coach used a PSA as a demonstration in a coaching clinic during a dead period. The coach was asked to speak at the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools summer coaching clinic. On-court demonstrations were part of the presentation. The coach had been told prior to speaking that college-aged kids would be available for demonstration. After the clinic, the coach learned they were high school students. MSU declared the prospects that participated ineligible and did not seek reinstatement. The SEC required MSU to issue a letter of admonishment to the coach.

Occurred: 8/17/15

Sport: Football

Violation type: Eligibility

Summary: Two returning walk-ons practiced for three weeks while not being enrolled full-time. Neither athlete spoke with their academic counselor about their courses. The athletic department was transitioning to a new academic director during the three weeks. To prevent this from reoccurring, MSU ensured a clear understanding of a process to check full-time enrollment would be established with the new director. The two players were removed from the team and will be allowed to return if they become full-time students. The SEC required MSU to withhold the involved players from three weeks of practices if they rejoin the team.

Occurred: 9/11/15

Sport: Men’s basketball

Violation type: Recruiting

Summary: Men’s basketball violated the institution's official visit policy for meals. On Sept. 11, a PSA, his mom and dad, along with another PSA and his legal guardian had dinner that cost $45.69 per person. That violated MSU’s policy that no single meal can cost more than $40. MSU sent the coach a letter of admonishment for his actions. A review of MSU’s institutional official visit policy was covered by the entire men’s basketball staff. Both PSAs were declared ineligible. Should either attend MSU, they will be required to pay $17.07 and $11.38, respectively, to a charity of their choice.

Contact Michael Bonner at mbonner@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @MikeBBonner on Twitter.