Ncaa Will Not Discipline Vandals For Using Ineligible Football Player

Thu., April 1, 1999

The University of Idaho will not be punished by the NCAA for using an ineligible football player last season.

Defensive tackle Ma’o Niko played in two non-conference games despite having exhausted his eligibility. Niko misled the university and the Big West Conference by failing to volunteer that he had played at Los Angeles Harbor College in 1991.

Upon discovering Niko’s oversight, Idaho self-reported the incident. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions reviewed the case and determined Idaho had committed a secondary, or minor, violation.

“Please note that forfeiture is not required … due to the student-athlete’s provision of fraudulent information and not because of the level of the young man’s contribution,” enforcement representative Lisa Dehon wrote Idaho this week.

“I wasn’t too worried,” UI athletic director Mike Bohn said, “based on the fact that we handled the matter swiftly and our compliance office was fully cooperative and documented the whole process.

“It’s a clear reflection that the institution didn’t do anything wrong.”

Idaho finished 9-3, won the Big West and beat Southern Mississippi in the Humanitarian Bowl.

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Ncaa Will Not Discipline Vandals For Using Ineligible Football Player

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

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