NCAA: Southern Indiana Booster Committed Violation

EVANSVILLE — The University of Southern Indiana men's basketball program has been found to have committed major NCAA violations again. But it will avoid any probation aside from being publicly reprimanded, according to an NCAA infractions report.

On July 19, 2017, USI head coach Rodney Watson received an anonymous letter reporting a booster had purchased a computer for an incoming recruit. Watson immediately notified an associate director of athletics, who then informed the Great Lakes Valley Conference office and the NCAA.

"While this was an unfortunate circumstance, we took quick action to report it and will use this as an ongoing educational opportunity for our student-athletes," USI athletic director Jon Mark Hall said in an official statement. "We take NCAA regulations very seriously at USI and endeavor to always do the right thing."

Between May 14 and June 11, the booster initiated 19 phone calls totaling 104 minutes and sent 401 text messages to a recruit. On May 21, the booster also purchased a laptop worth $1,872 for the prospect along with a $53 carrying case and $199 warranty plan. The recruit helped repay the booster for the gift by performing yard work and other duties at the booster's home.

Boosters are generally not allowed to be involved in recruiting, according to NCAA bylaws. They are prohibited from calling or texting prospects, as well as providing any financial aid or other recruiting inducements.

USI has disassociated itself from the unnamed booster for a five-year period as of Oct. 30, 2017. The booster cannot assist any of USI's athletics programs or be a member of the Varsity Club, among other minor sanctions.

"The booster admitted he had received education from USI on impermissible benefits prior to the violations," states the report, released in April. "To the contrary, USI acted in an exemplary manner in response to receiving information about possible violations involving the booster and the prospect."

The infractions report described the prospect as someone who "graduated from high school in 2015 after which he attended a two-year institution." The prospect had already signed his National Letter of Intent before the infractions but didn't enroll until the end of summer.

Nate Hansen checks all those boxes as the team's only transfer last year. After graduating from Reitz High School, he attended Vincennes University and then averaged 12.5 points in 28 games for USI. Hansen was suspended for the first two games for "violating team rules" — it's unclear if his penalty was for the booster situation specifically.

Neither Watson nor Hansen responded to requests for comment from the Courier & Press.

Booster involvement in Division II infractions cases is relatively uncommon. In fact, there only have been two others in the past 10 years, according to the NCAA report.

Fayetteville State (2017) had a booster paying women's basketball student-athletes while Abilene Christian (2009) boosters were supplying impermissible benefits to track and field athletes.

In 2009, former USI men's basketball coach Rick Herdes resigned and the school was placed on probation for one year. An assistant coach had arranged for fraudulent academic credit for one player, provided improper benefits to another and gave false or misleading testimony during the investigation.

If USI commits any more major infractions in the next five years, it will be considered a repeat offender and severe penalties likely will result.

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