Report: Various NCAA violations uncovered

A former member of the Oklahoma football coaching staff was found ineligible to work as a graduate assistant according to documents obtained by SoonerScoop.com through an open records request.

The former staff member "performed coaching activities while not enrolled as a graduate student" during the fall 2012 semester. This discovery resulted in an NCAA secondary violation, according to a Jan. 10, 2013 report filed by University of Oklahoma athletic department's compliance office.

The report states the former staff member graduated from OU in 2010, but the former staff member's GPA was not high enough to enroll in the university's graduate college. The former staff member enrolled in 12 hours in an effort to earn entrance into the graduate college, but the attempt failed.

The name of the former staff member is blackened in the documents obtained by SoonerScoop. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) allows schools to blacken names that reference current or former students in records requests.

Oklahoma announced three new graduate assistants would join its staff in March 2012: former Sooners Joe Jon Finley, Joey Halzle and Derrick Strait. Of those three, Strait is the only graduate assistant not currently listed as a member of OU's coaching staff.

Strait was expected to assume a role as a graduate assistant last season. Strait is a former All-American defensive back, 2003 Thorpe Award winner and 2003 Nagurski Award winner.

Strait also completed undergraduate work through the University of Oklahoma and received his degree in 2010.

NO CALLS TO A RECRUIT FOR A MONTH

On July 20, 2012, former assistant football coach Bruce Kittle "inadvertently 'pocket dialed'" a former OU recruiting target according to a Dec. 4, 2012 OU compliance report.

"As a result of the violation, the Department prohibited the football staff from initiating phone calls with (prospect name redacted) for a period of four (4) weeks from September 1, 2012 to September 28, 2012," the report states. "Furthermore, the Department declared (the unnamed recruit) ineligible for intercollegiate competition at the University and is not seeking reinstatement."

CHECK BOUNCE LEADS TO NCAA VIOLATION

Oklahoma self-reported a secondary violation because final payment for two 2012 summer camp participants didn't clear the bank, according to a Jan. 7, 2013 OU compliance report.

Multiple attempts by the school to collect the final payment failed. Because the school was unable to collect the funds, the price was reduced, which is a secondary violation.

"Both prospective student-athletes had provided the required deposit prior to attending the camp; however, after the conclusion of the camp, the electronic check for final payment (one check since the two prospects are related) was returned to the camp owner by the respective financial institution due to insufficient funds," the report states.

KITTLE'S CONFUSION LEADS TO VIOLATION

In April 2012, Kittle mistakenly allowed a 2012 signee to attend a film session while on an unofficial visit, according to an April 20, 2012 OU compliance report.

NCAA bylaw 13.1.5.9 prohibits a signee from participating in any activity that is closed to the general public until the signee has matriculated to the school. The signee planned to begin classes in June 2012.

OU's compliance staff spoke with Kittle about the violation when it discovered the signee posted a tweet claiming he was about to watch film with the team.

"When asked, Kittle stated that he was confused about the specifics of the rule and thought that it was permissible for (the signee) (since( the signee) had signed a NLI) to be present in the film room considering (the signee) was not participating in the team activities," the report states.