Clemson reports 11 NCAA violations during 2022 calendar year

Chapel Fowler
BART BOATWRIGHT/Special to The State

At some point last year, a Clemson football assistant coach “inadvertently” called a class of 2024 recruit earlier than he was allowed to under NCAA rules.

As a result, the Tigers’ entire coaching staff was prohibited from calling that recruit during the next two “permissible calling opportunities” for players in his high school graduating class.

That was one of four NCAA rules violations committed by the football program and one of 11 total NCAA violations reported by the Clemson athletics department from Jan. 1, 2022, to Dec. 31, 2022, according to documents obtained by The State through an open records request.

All 11 of last year’s violations were deemed Level III violations by NCAA enforcement staff, according to documents. Eight of the 11 violations, including all four of the football team’s violations, were related to recruiting and concerned recruits (defined in the documents as “prospective student-athletes”).

The NCAA, on its website, defines Level III violations as those that are “inadvertent and isolated or limited in nature,” provide “no more than a minimal recruiting, competitive or other advantage” and provide “no more than a minimal impermissible benefit.”

Level III violations can lead to fines — or recruiting constraints, if they involve prospective student-athletes. Outside of the football penalty regarding recruiting calls, none of Clemson’s other 2022 violations led to further NCAA action, according to documents.

Clemson reported 21 NCAA rules violations between Jan. 1, 2020, and Dec. 31, 2021, The State previously reported in March 2022. Seven of the violations occurred during the 2020 calendar year, and 14 of them occurred during the 2021 calendar year. All 21 were deemed Level III offenses.

Among Clemson’s 11 reported NCAA violations in the 2022 calendar year, the football team had the most with four. Men’s soccer and women’s gymnastics had two violations apiece, and men’s tennis, women’s basketball and rowing had one violation each.

Over the past three calendar years, Clemson has reported the most NCAA violations for its football team (nine), rowing team (five) and men’s soccer team (four). The athletic department has reported and resolved 33 total NCAA violations, all of them Level III, since Jan. 1, 2020.

In its 2022 NCAA violations report released to The State, Clemson didn’t include the specific names of student-athletes or coaches involved and didn’t list any in-house institutional actions taken in reaction to each completed case. The exact date of each violation, as well as the exact date of the NCAA’s case resolution, was also redacted, among other pieces of information.

Here’s a full list of the violations:

Football

  • Violation: [Redacted] football student‐athletes participated in recruiting activity on a day off. Bylaw: 17.1.7.8 (Required Days Off – Outside of the Playing Season). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

  • Violation: Institution provided a football recruit with electronic correspondence via Twitter direct messaging prior to the first permissible date for recruiting materials (Sept. 1 of junior year). Bylaw: 13.4.1.1 (subsection of Recruiting Materials and Electronic Correspondence – General Rule). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

  • Violation: Institution’s football recruiting staff sent a scheduled recruiting electronic message to a 2024 recruit prior to the first permissible date to send such correspondence. Bylaw: 13.4.1 (Recruiting Materials and Electronic Correspondence – General Rule). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

  • Violation: Football assistant coach inadvertently called a 2024 recruit (current high school junior) prior to the first permissible call date. Bylaw: 13.1.3.1.3 (subsection of Time Period for Off-Campus Contacts – General Rule). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III, and the institution should be required to prohibit the football coaching staff from calling the involved recruit during the next two permissible calling opportunities

Men’s soccer

  • Violation: On [redacted] 2021, [redacted] men’s soccer student‐athletes missed class to participate in a promotional activity without receiving prior approval. Bylaw: 12.5.1.1 (Institutional, Charitable, Educational or Nonprofit Promotions). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

  • Violation: Men’s soccer staff had an unofficial visit with a 2024 recruit prior to Aug. 1 of the recruit’s junior year in high school. Bylaws: 13.7.1.1 (subsection of First Opportunity to Visit), 13.7.1 (First Opportunity to Visit). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

Women’s gymnastics

  • Violation: Head coach replied to an email from a recruit who is a 2024 high school graduate. Bylaw: 13.4.1 (Recruiting Materials and Electronic Correspondence – General Rule). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

  • Violation: The institution’s [redacted] gymnastics [redacted] publicly acknowledged that three prospective recruits intend to enroll by publicly commenting on their Instagram posts. Bylaws: 13.10.2 (Publicity After Commitment), 13.10.1.6 (Intent to Enroll). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

Men’s tennis

  • Violation: Institution provided a rental car to a prospective student‐athlete on an official visit that exceeded the cost of mileage rate for institutional staff members. Bylaw: 13.5.2.2 (Automobile Transportation). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

Women’s basketball

  • Violation: The parents of a women’s basketball student‐athlete gained access to the premium seat area during a regular season men’s basketball game on [redacted] 2022. Bylaw: 16.11.2.1 (subsection of Benefits, Gifts and Services). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

Rowing

  • Violation: On [redacted] 2022, an [redacted] women’s rowing coach had in-person off-campus contact with a 2025 recruit prior to the first permissible date. Bylaw: 13.1.1.1 (Time Period for Off‐Campus Contacts – General Rule). Result: The NCAA determined the case should be classified as Level III and “no further action” was taken by enforcement staff.

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