Oregon Football: School Admits Failure to Monitor Recruiting Procedures

The University of Oregon admits that the athletics program failed to properly monitor the use of recruiting services and recruiting trips over a three-year span, which could leave the door open for some form of harsh punishment from the NCAA.

On Friday evening documents were released through a Freedom of Information Act request by multiple media outlets, including The Register Guard and ESPN.com.

A redacted draft of proposed findings of violations from the NCAA was released by the university, in which the school admits that the school used three scouting services "in ways that did not conform with NCAA rules. The limits on how many coaches could be involved in any one recruiting trip was also noted as a violation, and Oregon confirmed payment to "at least three" recruiting services at a total of $45,245.

The most serious admission comes on the fourth page of the released document, where Oregon admits their shortcoming in monitoring the recruiting actions taking place under the football program.

"It is agreed that from 2008 through 2011, the scope and nature of the violations set forth in Finding Nos. 2 [paid recruiting subscriptions], 3-c [redacted] and 4 [redacted] demonstrate that the athletics department failed to adequately monitor (1) the football program's use of recruiting or scouting services," the document reads. Three items are pointed out in the next part of the section, although two are redacted on the released copy of the document. Oregon does admit to a failure to establish policies and procedures to monitor football recruiting and the use of recruiting services, and confirms the responsibility lies on the athletics administrators in the football program to do so.

“While we have no specific timetable on the inquiry, we remain in close communication with the NCAA as the process advances cooperatively through each stage," Oregon athletic director Rob Mullins said in a letter to boosters, which was also obtained along with the proposed violations. Currently, pursuant to the NCAA's process, we are in constructive discussions with the NCAA on the draft of their proposed findings,” he explained in the letter.

Oregon is currently awaiting a formal Notice of Allegations from the NCAA. The notice of allegations is the formal document from the NCAA that will lay out the framework for any sanctions to be served, which could include a reduction in scholarships or limits on recruiting trips allowed and more. The NCAA could only go so far as impose some form of postseason ban. There are no concrete sanctions for specific NCAA violations, so it is difficult to really grasp which direction this will lead Oregon.

The NCAA has previously admitted that their rules and regulations need to be redone, with the intent of clarifying the punishments for a series of violations. Right now, sanctions are determined on a case-by-case basis.

When the time comes to learn what kind of punishment the football program must serve, this admission of serious failure to monitor will be tough to battle in an appeal. But we will cross that bridge when we get there.

View the NCAA Proposed Findings of Violations here. Read the full letter to boosters from Oregon athletic director Rob Mullins here.

Kevin McGuire is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook and add him to your Google+ circle.