(U-WIRE) MINNEAPOLIS — University of Minnesota football coach
Glen Mason said Thursday he has no plans to discipline players who
allegedly took high school recruits to a strip club and bar.
At a news conference, Mason said he needs to investigate the
issue further to determine what happened and who was involved
before he can assess whether any discipline is due.
“Discipline who?” Mason asked, adding that the specific details
of the recruits’ visits are still sketchy to him.
Mason responded to news reports quoting high school football
recruits who said Gopher players took them to a Minneapolis strip
club and several bars during official visits to the university in
December.
Mason said he heard rumors that some behavior he deemed
inappropriate might have occurred during recent recruits’ visits in
early December, and he had a team meeting to address the
behavior.
“Some of the information I get comes in the form of rumors
sometimes, and you know how rumors are,” Mason said.
Under NCAA rules, those hosting recruits can receive up to $30
per day for food and entertainment for the recruit and
themselves.
Kay Hawes, a spokeswoman for the NCAA, said she could not
comment on whether the organization would investigate the
accusations.
Mason said he does not give players specific guidelines for
entertaining recruits. Rather, he said he asks them to adhere to
general guidelines such as, “Do the right thing,” and, “If you’re
not sure, just don’t do it.”
“I call on them to use common sense,” Mason said.
When new issues arise, he specifically addresses them to the
team, he said.
At the University of Michigan, where a similar incident
involving the basketball team occurred eight years ago, hosts must
sign a form listing guidelines for recruits’ visits, said Judy Van
Horn, the university’s associate athletics director. The form gives
guidelines on NCAA rules and improper behavior, Van Horn said.
The form specifically prohibits prospective student-athletes
from violating alcohol and drug laws, according to the document.
Student hosts must sign it to receive money for recruit food and
entertainment, Van Horn said.
Mason said he is concerned about underage drinking but feels the
problem is more widespread than football players or athletes.
“Even President [George W.] Bush’s daughter got cited for
underage drinking, and he’s got the Secret Service,” Mason
said.
Mason said the recruit, who committed to the university 14
months ago, visited the first weekend in December. Mason would not
name the recruit.
According to news reports, recruit Lydon Murtha, who visited
during the first weekend, was taken to a bar and the Deja Vu
nightclub in downtown Minneapolis by his hosts.
Mason said he has had numerous contacts with the recruit since
his visit.
“There was not one single hint of any problem,” Mason said.
However, the recruit decided to go to another university, and
Mason said he has not been able to contact him since.