UPDATE: Here’s the full audio of the teleconference with the NCAA Committee on Infractions:

UPDATE: Former Oregon coach Chip Kelly responds to NCAA sanctions.

UPDATE: NFL Spokesperson Brian McCarthy reports the NFL is not familiar with the details and prefers not to comment at this time. 

The Ducks will be bowl-eligible this fall.

The NCAA has announced that there will be no bowl ban for Oregon as a result of its violations of NCAA recruiting rules. The football program will lose one scholarship for two years and endure a three year probationary period, which was imposed because of Oregon’s repeat violator status. In addition, the football program will also receive a ban on recruiting services during probation.

After Oregon and the NCAA agreed in December that Oregon was guilty of seven major violations, Oregon proposed a similar punishment: two years probation and a loss of a scholarship for three years. The NCAA denied the proposal.

The punishment will likely not have a drastic effect on the football program. For the past four years, Oregon has only used 83 of its 85 available scholarships. The loss of scholarships was imposed by the University during its appeals with the NCAA.

Chip Kelly, the head coach who led the Ducks to four BCS bowls during the time, has received a show-cause penalty from the NCAA, which means he can’t coach college football for 18-months. The penalty for Kelly, along with Oregon’s soft punishment, is evidence that the NCAA largely found Kelly at fault.

“The committee noted that it is the head coach’s responsibility to know the rules and ensure that every coach and staff member complies with those rules,” said Gregory Sankey, associate commissioner of the SEC and NCAA Committee on Infractions spokesperson. “There was certainly knowledge that the departure (of Kelly) had occurred  but we have certain resources like the show-cause penalty, which has been applied.”

It is unclear if the 18-month show-cause penalty handed to Kelly will have any impact, it is up to the NFL if they want to take action, but Kelly issued a statement released by the Philadelphia Eagles apologizing for any involvement he had on the infractions.

“Now that the NCAA has concluded their investigation and penalized the University of Oregon and its football program, I want to apologize to the University of Oregon, all of its current and former players and their fans,” Kelly said. “I accept my share of responsibility for the actions that led to the penalties.”

Overall, the athletic administration and Duck fans are likely pleased with the decision. After the investigation was drawn out for 27 months and the NCAA denying Oregon’s self-proposed penalty, loss of a scholarship and three years probation is minor when compared to sanctions inflicted on other programs.

When asked if the final verdict was a slap on the wrist for the Oregon football program, Sankey said, ”This was a multi-year investigation. No institution wants to go through this.”

The committee feels it has doled out adequate punishments for the football program.

“I have not met an institution that wants to go through the infractions and enforcement process,” said Sankey. “This was a multi-year effort that certainly existed and there are penalties that effect the program. The committee made their decision based on the information presented to it, not on other speculation and evaluation.”

Oregon’s investigation, and the soft punishment, will affect schools nationwide. In the future, the NCAA Committee on Infractions claims that it will run investigations differently, possibly changing the nature of penalties.

“There is an understanding that as we move forward, the penalty and violation structure will be changing,” said Sankey. “But that’s not the evaluation that occurred in this case.”

In a press release from the University of Oregon, the athletic administration echoed the Committee on Infractions, claiming that they were indeed guilty of infractions and agree with the committee’s penalty.

“The Committee on Infractions has issued its findings which were substantially consistent with recommendations by the University of Oregon,” said the University in its press release.

The athletic department has declined to comment further and have scheduled a press conference for 2p.m. when athletic director Rob Mullens will address the media.

—

The sanctions came in the wake of seven NCAA infractions committed by Oregon. The infractions were made public in a report requested by Portland news outlet KATU.

1) Willie Lyles deemed a booster.

Lyles, a Texas-based scout, was known for having close relationships to some of the nations top recruits. He ran Complete Scouting Services, a company that sold recruit contact information and highlight reels to football programs around the country.

Oregon purchased Lyles’ services and eventually recruited a running back, Lache Seastrunk, who had close ties to Lyles. The NCAA deemed Lyles a booster and claimed that his influence on Seastrunks’ decision to sign with Oregon was illegal.

Lyles has been connected to other scandals including allegedly promising to deliver star cornerback recruit Patrick Peterson to Texas A&M for $80,000.

2) Oregon paid for recruiting services deemed illegal by the NCAA.

Oregon paid Lyles for $35,000 for multiple recruiting services between 2008-11 that the NCAA found to be improper.

3) Redacted portion.

The third violation was so heavily redacted from the report that it is unclear what the infraction is. A portion less redacted shows that it is considered a “major violation” by the NCAA.

4) Impermissible calls.

Between 2007-11, the NCAA has found that Oregon is guilty of making 730 impermissible phone calls to recruits and their high school coaches.

5) Too many coaches.

Between 2009-11, the NCAA found Oregon to be guilty of having one too many coaches involved in recruiting.

6) No “atmosphere of compliance.”

While the NCAA did not say that Oregon “lacked institutional control,” it did claim that they did not promote an atmosphere of compliance. This was likely caused by the impermissible phone calls and the extra coach involved in recruiting.

7) Oregon failed to recruit by the book.

The NCAA found Oregon guilty of several recruiting practices, such as giving out apparel to recruits and calling high school players and coaches.

—

While college football programs disobeying NCAA rules and regulations have become somewhat commonplace, Oregon had one thing going for it. Every program that was severely hindered by sanctions lied to the NCAA during investigations. In the report from the NCAA, it was clearly stated that Oregon has been honest and compliant during the investigation.

“The committee was appreciative of the former head coach and the former director of football operations participating in the hearing,” said Sankey.

Link to full video of the press conference.

NCAA hands down sanctions to UO

Ian Campbell and Eder Campuzano contributed to this report.

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl and the Holiday Bowl have announced agreements between the Pac-12 and the Big Ten conferences to meet in their respective bowls during the 2014-19 post seasons.

In a June 24 teleconference, it was announced that the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl will house teams from the two conferences at the San Francisco 49ers’ new stadium in Santa Clara. The bowl will be fourth in the Pac-12 lineup.

The Holiday Bowl will also host teams from both conferences and will be third in line for the Pac-12.

“Our conferences have a tremendous affinity for one another,” said Larry Scott, Pac-12 commissioner. “We have looked for ways play each other more often.”

One change with the Holiday Bowl will be with the title sponsor. The agreement with the previous sponsor, Bridgepoint Education, has ended.

“We are now in the market for a new title,” said Bruce Binkowski, executive director of the Holiday Bowl. “The agreement officially ended after the game but there was a renewal time several weeks ago and they opted not to renew so now we are moving forward and looking for a new title.”

The agreement for the Holiday Bowl has a stipulation to not allow the same team in the game twice over the six-year agreement.

One of the driving factors in the deal was television. Gary Cavalli, executive director of the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl said that the television success of the bowl has helped it grow into a more prominent bowl.

“It’s a bowl that has been favored by television,” said Cavalli. “We’ve gotten great television windows, we’ve gotten very good ratings, so that’s everything the bowl had going for it historically.”

With the Rose Bowl pulling top selections for the new playoff structure, the Alamo Bowl will get the second best team from the Pac-12, which they will pit against a Big 12 school, the Holiday Bowl will get the third pick and the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl will get the fourth.

Over the weekend, University of Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens announced that the University has hired Jody Sykes as Oregon’s senior associate athletic director and chief compliance officer. She will assume her position on July 29.

As chief compliance officer, Sykes will act as a go-between for Oregon and the NCAA and Pac-12 and overall help Oregon be in compliance with NCAA and Pac-12 rules and regulations.

“We are excited to welcome Jody to Oregon and our leadership team,” Mullens said to goducks.com. “She brings a breadth of experience at outstanding institutions and has had meaningful engagement at both the conference and national levels.”

The position was likely created in wake of NCAA allegations that Oregon has engaged in illegal activity. In a letter from the NCAA to Oregon regarding the allegations, the NCAA made it clear that Oregon had committed the alleged infractions unknowingly. Sykes’ main duty will likely be to inform Oregon of would-be infractions to avoid future sanctions.

Sykes, a graduate of the University of Montana class of 1998 with a degree of business administration, has filled the role of compliance officer before. Mullens and the University of Oregon lured her away from the same position at Louisville, where she held the title for seven years.

Before her position at Louisville, Sykes was the director of compliance for the University of Pittsburg (2003-2006) and Robert Morris University (2001-2003).

As reported earlier, the University of Oregon athletic department is proposing a rule change that would ban larger seat cushions from Autzen Stadium.

If the rule is passed, any cushion with dimensions larger than 10 inches deep, 17 inches wide and with a seat back higher than 19 inches will not be allowed. If a fan tries to enter Autzen Stadium with a seat cushion, under the rule they will have to put their cushion in a designated box sized to the specified dimensions. If it exceeds the size of the box, they will not be allowed to bring it in.

“The proposed change in seat cushions at Autzen Stadium is a direct result of fan feedback,” Senior Associate Athletic Director Craig Pintens said. “When a fan brings in an oversized seat cushion, it infringes on the seating ability of those around him or her. We want to continue to enhance the fan experience by allowing fans to use seat cushions that fit within their measured seating area.”

Due to the way seating is ambiguously marked in Autzen Stadium — primarily bleacher-style with a painted number on the front but no marking to show where one seat ends and the other begins — the UO athletic department felt that some people were taking advantage and bringing cushions that were larger than their designated seat, forcing their neighbors to have their space encroached upon.

Dan Luchs, a UO alum and long-time season ticket holder, agrees that the way the seats are set up now is a bit confusing and that some fans take advantage of the undefined seat marking.

“Those strap-sided cushions so people can lean back, those are really annoying because if they’re sitting in front of you with their back between your legs, they think they can recline,” Luchs said. “They don’t understand that that space is taken.”

Despite the frustrations Luchs has endured, he doesn’t feel like the seat cushion rule is the answer because, without markings of the boundaries of each seat, there could still be confusion.

“I think even lines painted on could help,” he said.

Previously, the Duck Store sold seat cushions to fans, but under the proposed rule, the product in stock is too large to bring in the stadium. The Duck Store issued cushions are 13 inches deep, exceeding the depth limit by a full three inches.

If the rule passes, many Duck fans will find their cushions illegal on game day. Doug Barber is one such fan, and a season-ticket holder at that.

I have two stadium seats that I’ve used at Autzen,” said Barber. “One is 12 inches deep, 16 wide and 18 high. The other is 13.5 inches deep, 16 3/4 wide, and 16 high. I appreciate what the athletic department is trying to do but it seems that the proposed rule could use some tweaking.”

Under the proposed rule, both seats are too deep. He claims the proposed requirements are too strict.

“They might want to measure their own seats to see what is realistic,” he said.

Barber might have a point. The benches at Autzen are 11 3/4 inches tall, which can easily house both of Barber’s cushions.

While many fans feel that some regulation is warranted, the stingy specifications released by the university might be a bit overboard.

The University of Oregon has proposed a new rule that would limit the type of seat cushions fans could bring into Autzen Stadium. The objective of the rule is to improve fan experience overall by limiting large seat cushions that exceed the size of each designated seating area. In a release provided to The Emerald by Phil Weiler, the University’s assistant president for strategic communications, it’s stated that the move would also “maintain allocated stadium seating capacity at the University’s athletic facilities.”

The majority of the seating in Autzen is bleacher-style with seat numbers that correspond to tickets, but there are a few individual seats. Because of this, it can be difficult to determine where one seat ends and the other begins. Current stadium rules allow patrons to bring large cushions that encroach on their neighbors’ seat.

Under the proposed rule, all cushions will have to be placed in a box upon entry to make sure they are of appropriate size, much like airlines provide similar kiosks for passengers to place their bags to ensure they comply with airline policies. The maximum dimensions of personal cushions under the new rule would be 17 inches wide and 10 inches deep with a seat back no taller than 19 inches.

A hearing for the new rule will be held on July 17, 9 a.m. in the Walnut Room of the Erb Memorial Union on the UO campus.

On Monday, the Pac-12 Network announced the television schedule for the upcoming volleyball season. Oregon will be featured in 15 televised games with reigning conference champion Stanford getting 17 games on the network.

The schedule has expanded this season to a full 90 games — eight more than last season — with each Pac-12 team getting a minimum of 11 games televised.

Oregon will take on Portland State in the first game of the season at home on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m.

***

As the Pac-12 All-Star volleyball team heads to China, two Ducks will make the trip. Both Lauren Plum and Liz Brenner will be a part of the 13-woman roster that will take on multiple Chinese teams over a span of six games.

The first game will be held on June 19 against Jeijang. Pac-12 Networks will televise some of the games.

***

The Eugene Emeralds took to the road to play the Hillsboro Hops in their home opener and fell 12-0. It was the first road trip for the Ems and the first of a three-game series with the Hops.

The Emeralds have had a rough start to the season, going 1-3 with only three runs scored in the four games.

The Hops will look to continue their success as they will receive the addition of Arizona Diamondbacks first round draft pick, University of Nevada right-handed pitcher Braden Shipley.

A graduate of North Medford high school, Shipley was the 15th overall draft pick and is expected to have an immediate impact for the Hops in their debut season.

***

In their most recent NBA mock draft, Sporting News has the Portland Trail Blazers drafting Shabazz Muhammad in the first round with the 10th overall pick.

Portland has expressed interest in the UCLA prospect and would likely use him as depth at the shooting guard position.

While he awaits to hear the final decision on the National College Baseball Writers Association’s Stopper of the Year award, the NCBWA has named Jimmie Sherfy to their  All-American first team.

Sherfy excelled in his junior year, setting a new school record with 21 saves, which was second best in the nation. The record he broke was his own, set in 2012 with 19 saves.

The saves, along with a 2.25 ERA and a nation-leading 12.98 strikeouts per nine innings, have garnered the attention of the majors. Last week, Sherfy was selected 300th overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2013 MLB draft.

With a win tonight against Tampa Bay, the Portland Timbers can advance to the U.S. Open Cup. Although their challenging June 15 match up with Dallas is looming, the Timbers claim that their attention is focused on Tampa Bay.

***

As the NBA draft gets closer, the Blazers have continued to bring in draftees for workouts. The latest is Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk is a seven-foot power forward who is projected to go in the first round.

With Portland having little depth at the power forward position behind All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge, Olynyk could provide some much needed size to the bench.

***

Oregon’s football program has reached new heights over the past four years, being an annual contender for the national title game, but their improvement has also extended into the class room.

As the Register-Guard’s Rob Moseley reports, the Oregon football team’s academic success is at an all time hight.

***

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is no stranger to PED scandals. Last season, Sherman served a suspention last season after getting popped for using Adderall. He was one of five Seahawks to be suspended for PEDs since 2011, the latest being defensive end Bruce Irvin.

In a recent interview, Sherman admitted that the pattern is a problem.

***

Lake Oswego, Oregon native Kevin Love spoke out about his rehab recently, saying he is ready to get back on the court.

***

With super regionals completed, eight teams are headed to Omaha. The Oregonian has a full schedule for the upcoming College World Series.

With a win tonight against Tampa Bay, the Portland Timbers can advance to the U.S. Open Cup. Although their challenging June 15 match up with Dallas is looming, the Timbers claim that their attention is focused on Tampa Bay.

***

As the NBA draft gets closer, the Blazers have continued to bring in draftees for workouts. The latest is Gonzaga’s Kelly Olynyk. Olynyk is a seven-foot power forward who is projected to go in the first round.

With Portland having little depth at the power forward position behind All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge, Olynyk could provide some much-needed size to the bench.

***

Oregon’s football program has reached new heights over the past four years, being an annual contender for the national title game, but their improvement has also extended into the class room.

As the Register-Guard’s Rob Moseley reports, the Oregon football team’s academic success is at an all time hight.

***

Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman is no stranger to PED scandals. Last season, Sherman served a suspention last season after getting popped for using Adderall. He was one of five Seahawks to be suspended for PEDs since 2011, the latest being defensive end Bruce Irvin.

In a recent interview, Sherman admitted that the pattern is a problem.

***

Lake Oswego, Oregon native Kevin Love spoke out about his rehab recently, saying he is ready to get back on the court.

***

With super regionals completed, eight teams are headed to Omaha. The Oregonian has a full schedule for the upcoming College World Series.

The 2012-13 year for Oregon athletics was something of a marvel. Many schools push their assets into one program — usually football or basketball — and allow the other programs to underperform. Oregon Athletic Director Rob Mullens has taken a different approach.

As each program reaches new heights, the bar is raised. Oregon’s meal ticket, football, attracts the most attention from fans but isn’t necessarily the top program at Oregon. With volleyball making the national championship game, basketball making the Sweet 16 and being knocked out by the eventual champion Louisville Cardinals, baseball getting a national seed for the second-straight season, both men’s and women’s track and field bringing their storied programs to new heights and softball being the number three team in the country headed into the postseason, Oregon is becoming a dynasty. It has even taken to introducing a new sport, acrobatics and tumbling, in which it dominates.

With the firing of soccer coach Tara Erickson, Mullens sent a message to all the programs: Mediocrity will not be tolerated. If the buy-out for women’s basketball coach Paul Westhead’s contract wasn’t over half a million dollars, he would likely have been fired as well.

This has created an interesting paradigm for students at the UO. Seniors have seen the football program vie for a national title and baseball reinstated. They have also seen basketball flounder at the bottom of the conference with national relevance seemingly nowhere in sight.

Probably most significant was the reign of Chip Kelly in its entirety. How he brought an average program up to competing with the nation’s top teams annually is truly something special.

Freshmen now have high expectations, but they will likely not be let down. Many of Oregon’s programs haven’t come close to plateauing.

After an unpredicted tournament run in 2013, the basketball program will continue to rise. Freshmen Damyean Dotson and Dominic Artis are two of the best young players in the conference. When paired with a strong recruiting class, Oregon should easily be able to return to the postseason despite losing E.J. Singler and Arsalan Kazemi.

Oregon’s baseball program might have come up short of the College World Series the past two years, but it has also only been around for four seasons. Each year coach George Horton brings in some of the most decorated guys coming out of high school and instills a blue-collar work ethic in them that has translated positively on the field.

So, yes, Oregon’s success this year was unprecedented, but it likely won’t be unique. The seemingly limitless athletic budget will allow these programs to continue to rise, rather than peak and plummet. The constant addition of new facilities and the brand that Oregon has created will keep recruits rolling into Eugene. Even looming football sanctions will likely be unable to hinder the athletic powerhouse that Oregon has become.