ANN ARBOR – The NCAA sent the University of Michigan its notice of allegations against its football program.

Those allegations center around the football program exceeding the permissible limit on the number of coaches engaged in on- and off-field coaching activities.

The program allegedly also violated NCAA legislation governing playing and practice seasons when it permitted football staff members to monitor and conduct voluntary summer workouts, conducted impermissible activities outside the playing season, required football student-athletes to participate in summer conditioning activities for disciplinary purposes, and exceeded time limits for countable athletic related activities during and outside of the playing season.
The NCAA also alleges that Alex Herron, graduate assistant football coach, failed to deport himself in accordance with the generally recognized high standards of honestly and sportsmanship normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics for providing false and misleading information to the institution and enforcement staff when questioned about his involvement in and knowledge of possible NCAA violations outlined in Allegation No. 2-a.

The letter alleged five allegations in all, including that from January 2008 and at least September 2009, the score and the nature of the violation detailed in Allegations Nos. 1 and 2 demonstrated that Rich Rodriquez, head football coach, failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within the football program and failed to adequately monitor the duties and activities of the quality control staff members, a graduate assistant coach and a student assistant coach, and the time limits for athletically relates activities.

University of Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman, incoming athletics director David Brandon and football coach Rich Rodriguez met with the media Tuesday afternoon to provide an update on the NCAA investigation into the football program.

The briefing was held at the Regents Room in the Fleming Administration Building.

“Integrity is at the heart of any great university, from research and scholarship to our public service, health care, and athletics,” Coleman said. “Intercollegiate athletics is a fundamental feature of the University of Michigan, and we take pride in the integrity of our athletics programs. We also take full responsibility for knowing and following NCAA rules and thus view the allegations seriously.
“We will make all necessary changes. What we will not do is make excuses. We already are addressing concerns, quickly and head on. All of us – Coach Rodriguez, David Brandon and I – are deeply committed to compliance with NCAA rules, and the future of our football program,” she added.

“I have been connected to the University of Michigan football program as a player; a fan; a donor; and a Regent of the University; for the past 40 years,” Brandon said. “During those many years, football has never been involved in any situation where we have been the subject of investigations and/or rule violations of this nature. Nor has our head coach Rich Rodriguez in his 25-plus years of coaching.
“This is a tough day…. and we must first and foremost take full responsibility for those events that brought us to this point – and we do. We will dedicate ourselves to learning from this and doing everything we can to prevent it from happening again in the future.”

Rodriquez, who has had a shaky start to his tenure at Michigan, took responsibility for the program.

“I’ll do all I can to carefully monitor all the program’s activities,” he said. “I look forward to working with Dave and the compliance office to ensure there is no question of Michigan football’s compliance with NCAA rules. Our philosophy has always been to be very transparent with our programs and to have an open relationship with our compliance office. I need to monitor more closely in the two areas of concern – and I will. Also, I want to say how proud I am of our team. They are excited about the program and what we believe we can achieve.”

Michigan, which has 90 days to respond to the allegations, is expected to appear in front the NCAA at a hearing in August.

No further comment is expected from the university on the allegations until after the hearing.