SMU Basketball on Probation for Rules Violation

THe NCAA has agreed to put the Southern Methodist University men's basketball program on two years of probation for major rules violations.

The Mustangs staff sent approximately 100 impermissible text messages to the parents of at least seven prospects, which is not allowed by the NCAA.

In addition to probation, the school will also face recruiting restrictions.

The school said it received "erroneous advice from the former director of compliance, who advised that the staff could send text messages to parents but not prospects," the Associated Press reports.The NCAA said Thursday that the program did not knowingly circumvent the rules.

Both the probation and recruiting limits were proposed by the school and accepted by the NCAA.

After repeated violations and probations in the 1970s and 80s, the SMU football program was handed the death penalty when the NCAA canceled the team's entire 1987 season and only allowed road games in 1988. When many of the players left to play at other schools, the school also cancelled the 1988 season since they didn't believe they could field a competitive team for the remaining games.  Over the next two decades, the Mustang football team enjoyed only one winning season.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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