NCAA Probation and Division I College Basketball

A few weeks ago I analyzed NCAA probation and major college football.  This week I will analyze NCAA probation and major college basketball.   Below is a list of current Division 1 basketball programs that have been placed on NCAA probation.

Just as I wrote in the NCAA Probation and College Football article, it’s important to keep in mind that violations in other sports often bring attention to a school’s entire athletic program.  Sometimes the basketball violations paled in comparison to violations in other sports, but if the basketball program was involved I still listed them.

I also didn’t list exact dates of probation.  Instead listing the season(s) affected.  If the probation occurred mid-season, I listed the month/year that the probation began and ran through.

Unlike the NCAA Probation and College Football article I didn’t list the dates in which violations occurred.  Perhaps this is a project for another day.  There were simply too many cases of NCAA probation in college basketball, to effectively look at each case under the microscope in a reasonable amount of time.  You could honestly dedicate a blog to NCAA probation and never run out of content.

There are times when a conference will put a school on probation, and the NCAA won’t.  I only listed NCAA mandated probation, or instances conference probation adopted by the NCAA.  Sometimes schools will also give themselves a tournament ban in anticipation of NCAA sanctions.  I included these bans in the list, if the NCAA acknowledged those self imposed bans.

School	Probation	Yrs	Tourny Ban	Yrs
Alabama	2009-10 – 11-12	3	–	–
Alabama St	1995-96 – 97-98	3	–	–
Alcorn St	1994-95 – 96-97	3	1995-96	2
Arizona	2010-11 – 11-12	2	–	–
Arizona St	12/1985 – 86	1	–	–
Arkansas	2003-04 – 05-06	3	–	–
Arkansas St	1981-82 – 82-83	2	1982	1
Arkansas St	3/2011 – 13	2	–	–
Auburn	1979-80 – 80-81	2	1980	1
Auburn	1991-92 – 92-93	2	1992	1
Auburn	2004-05 – 05-06	2	–	–
Ball St	1994-95 – 95-96	2	–	–
Baylor	12/1985 – 87	2	1986	1
Baylor	–	–	1995	1
Baylor	2005-06 – 09-10	5	2004	1
Bethune-Cookman	1995-96 – 98-99	4	–	–
Bradley	1952-53	1	1953	1
Bradley	1966-67	1	–	–
Bradley	1986-87 – 87-88	2	1987	1
Bradley	2006-07	1	–	–
Buffalo	1970-71	1	–	–
Buffalo	1993-94	1	–	–
Buffalo	2001-02 – 02-03	2	–	–
Cal Poly	1987-88	1	–	–
Cal St Northridge	2004-05 – 06-07	3	–	–
California	1997-98 – 99-2000	3	1998	1
California	2/2011 – 13	2	–	–
Canisius	1975-76 – 76-77	2	1976-77	2
CCNY	1954-55	1	1955	1
Centenary	1/1964 – 65	1	–	–
Centenary	1969-70 – 70-71	2	1970-71	2
Centenary	1/1973 – 78	5	1973-77	5
Chattanooga	2010-11 – 11-12	2	–	–
Cincinnati	1955-56	1	1956	1
Cincinnati	1959-60	1	–	–
Cincinnati	12/1978 – 80	2	1979-80	2
Cincinnati	1988-89 – 90-91	3	1989	1
Cincinnati	1998-99 – 99-2000	2	–	–
Clemson	1975-76 – 77-78	3	1976-78	3
Clemson	12/1992 – 94	2	–	–
Cleveland St	12/1987 – 90	3	1988-89	2
Coastal Carolina	1994-95 – 97-98	4	1994-95	2
Connecticut	2/2011 – 14	3	–	–
Cornell	1/1975 – 76	1	–	–
Dayton	1962-63 – 63-64	2	1963-64	2
Dayton	2000-01 – 02-03	3	–	–
DePaul	1974-75	1	–	–
DePaul	1994-95	1	–	–
Drake	1995-96	1	–	–
Duke	1972-73	1	1973	1
East Carolina	1979-80	1	1980	1
East Tennessee St	1961-62	1	–	–
East Tennessee St	1986-87	1	1987	1
Eastern Michigan	1972-73	1	1973	1
Eastern Washington	1987-88 – 88-89	2	1988	1
Florida	1990-91 – 91-92	2	1991	1
Florida A&M	2/2006 – 10	4	–	–
Florida Intl	2008-09 – 11-12	4	–	–
Florida St	1968-69	1	1969	1
Florida St	1969-70 – 70-71	2	1970-71	2
Florida St	3/1983 – 84	1	–	–
Florida St	3/2009 – 13	4	–	–
Fresno St	1983-84	1	–	–
Fresno St	12/2002 – 06	4	2003	1
Fresno St	2006-07 – 09-10	4	2006	1
Fullerton St	1998-99 – 2001-02	4	–	–
Gardner-Webb	3/2004 – 07	3	2004	1
Georgia	1/1985 – 86	1	–	–
Georgia	2004-05 – 07-08	4	2003	1
Georgia Southern	1995-96 – 96-97	2	1996	1
Georgia Southern	1/2010 – 12	2	–	–
Gonzaga	1998-99 – 2001-02	4	–	–
Grambling St	1978-79	1	1979	1
Grambling St	1989-90	1	–	–
Grambling St	1997-98 – 98-99	2	–	–
Hawaii	1977-78 – 78-79	2	1978-79	2
Howard	1978-79	1	–	–
Howard	2001-02 – 05-06	5	–	–
Idaho	1/1978 – 79	1	1978	1
Idaho St	1985-86 – 86-87	2	1986	1
Illinois	1967-68 – 68-69	2	1968-69	2
Illinois	1974-75 – 75-76	2	1975	2
Illinois	1990-91 – 92-93	3	1991	1
Illinois St	1/1972 – 73	1	–	–
Indiana	2008-09 – 10-11	3	–	–
Iowa	1/1964 – 65	1	–	–
IUPUI	3/2010 – 13	3	–	–
Kansas	1956-57	1	–	–
Kansas	1960-61 – 61-62	2	1961-62	2
Kansas	1972-73	1	1973	1
Kansas	1988-89 – 90-91	3	1989	1
Kansas	2006-07 – 08-09	3	–	–
Kansas St	1954-55	1	–	–
Kentucky	1952-53 *1	1	1953	1
Kentucky	12/1976 – 78	2	–	–
Kentucky	1989-90 – 91-92	3	1990-91	2
La Salle	1968-69 – 69-70	2	1969-70	2
Long Beach St	1/1974 -77	3	1974-76	3
Long Beach St	3/2008 – 11	3	–	–
Louisiana Tech	1973-74 – 75-76	3	1974-76	3
Louisiana Tech	1994-95	1	–	–
Louisville	1956-57 – 57-58	2	1957-58	2
Louisville	1996-97 – 97-98	2	–	–
Louisville	1998-99 – 2000-01	3	–	–
Loyola MD	1986-87	1	–	–
LSU	1986-87	1	–	–
LSU	1998-99 – 2000-01	3	–	–
Maine	1996-97 – 99-00	4	–	–
Marist	1987-88 – 88-89	2	1988-89	2
Marshall	1990-91 – 91-92	2	1991	1
Marshall	12/2001 – 05	4	–	–
Maryland	1990-91 – 92-93	3	1991-92	2
McNeese St	1972-73 – 74-75	3	1973-75	3
McNeese St	2/1987 – 89	2	–	–
McNeese St	2/2007 – 09	2	–	–
Memphis	1/1959 – 61	2	1959-60	2
Memphis	1979-80 – 80-81	2	1980	1
Memphis	1986-87 – 87-88	2	1987	1
Memphis	2009-10 – 11-12	3	–	–
Miami FL	1964-65	1	1965	1
Miami OH	1/1991 – 93	2	–	–
Michigan	2002-03 – 05-06	4	2003	1
Michigan St	2/1953 – 54	1	–	–
Mid Tennessee St	1984-85	1	–	–
Mid Tennessee St	1/1993 – 95	2	1993	1
Milwaukee	1975-76	1	–	–
Minnesota	1976-77 – 78-79	3	1977-78	2
Minnesota	3/1976 – 10/78	1 ^	1976	1
Minnesota	3/1988 – 90	2	1988	1
Minnesota	1991-92 – 92-93	2	–	–
Minnesota	2000-01 – 03-04	4	–	–
Mississippi St	1967-68 – 68-69	2	1968-69	2
Mississippi St	1986-87	1	–	–
Missouri	1990-91 – 91-92	2	1991	1
Missouri	2004-05 – 06-07	3	–	–
Montana	–	–	1977	1
Montana St	1996-97 – 97-98	2	–	–
Morehead St	2010-11 – 11-12	2	–	–
Morgan St	2/1995 – 98	3	1995	1
NC St	1954-55	1	1955	1
NC St	1956-57 – 59-60	4	1957-60	4
NC St	1972-73	1	1973	1
NC St	12/1989 – 91	2	1990	1
Nevada	1976-77	1	1977	1
New Mexico	11/1980 – 83	3	1981-82	2
New Mexico St	1/1973 – 75	2	1973-74	2
New Mexico St	1995-96 – 97-98	3	1996	1
New Mexico St	2001-02 – 04-05	4	2001	1
Nicholls St	2005-06 – 08-09	4	–	–
North Carolina	1/1961 – 62	1	1961	1
Northeastern	2009-10 – 10-11	2	–	–
Northwestern St	1990-91 – 92-93	3	1991-92	2
Ohio St	1956-57	1	1957	1
Ohio St	1994-95	1	–	–
Ohio St	3/2006 – 09	3	2005	1
Oklahoma	1973-74 – 74-75	2	–	–
Oklahoma	2006-07 – 07-08	2	–	–
Oral Roberts	1/1980 – 81	1	1980	1
Oregon	12/1981 – 83	2	–	–
Oregon St	1984-85	1	–	–
Pacific	1991-92 – 92-93	2	–	–
Pittsburgh	1993-94 – 94-95	2	–	–
Purdue	1966-67	1	–	–
Purdue	1999-2000 – 00-01	2	–	–
Richmond	2009-10 – 10-11	2	–	–
Robert Morris	1990-91 – 91-92	2	1991	1
Rutgers	2003-04 – 04-05	2	–	–
Sacramento St	1972-73 – 73-74	2	–	–
Saint Louis	1955-56	1	–	–
Saint Louis	1982-83	1	1983	1
Samford	1972-73	1	–	–
San Diego St	1/1984 – 85	1	1984	1
San Francisco	1979-80	1	1980	1
San Francisco	1980-81	1	–	–
San Francisco	1982-83 – 84-85 *2	3	1983-85	3
San Francisco	2010-11 – 11-12	2	–	–
Savannah St	1997-98 – 2000-01	4	–	–
SE Louisiana	1989-90 – 93-94 *3	5	1990	1
SE Missouri St	1979-80	1	–	–
SE Missouri St	1/1998 – 2001	3	–	–
SE Missouri St	2010-11 – 12-13	3	–	–
Seattle	1958-59 – 59-60	2	1959-60	2
Seton Hall	1975-76 – 76-77	2	1976	1
SMU	1/1974 – 76	2	1975	1
SMU	3/2011 – 13	2	–	–
South Alabama	12/2001 – 03	2	–	–
South Carolina	1/1967 – 69	2	1967-68	2
South Carolina	3/1987 – 2/91	3	1988	1
South Florida	1/1982 – 83	1	–	–
Southern Illinois	1985-86 – 86-87	2	1986	1
St. Bonaventure	1968-69	1	1969	1
St. Bonaventure	2003-04 – 05-06	3	2004	1
St. John’s	2006-07 – 07-08	2	2005	1
Stetson	2002-03 – 03-04	2	–	–
Stony Brook	2005-06 – 07-08	3	–	–
Syracuse	1992-93 – 93-94	2	1993	1
TCU	1981-82	1	–	–
Tennessee St	2003-04 – 05-06	3	–	–
Texas A&M	1977-78	1	–	–
Texas A&M	1991-92 – 92-93	2	1992	1
Texas St	3/2005 – 08	3	–	–
Texas Tech	1998-99 – 2001-02	4	1997	1
Tulane	1985-86 – 88-89 *4	4	1986-89	4
UA Little Rock	1999-2000 – 00-01	2	–	–
UC Santa Barbara	1980-81 – 81-82	2	1981-82	2
UCLA	12/1981 – 83	2	1982	1
UCLA	1998-99 – 2000-01	3	–	–
UL Lafayette	1/1968 – 70	2	1968-69	2
UL Lafayette	1973-74 – 76-77 *5	4	1974-77	4
UL Lafayette	2007-08 – 08-09	2	–	–
UM Eastern Shore	1974-75	1	1975	1
UNLV	1977-78 – 78-79	2	1978-79	2
UNLV	1993-94 – 95-96	3	–	–
UNLV	12/2000 – 04	4	2001	1
USC	2010-11 – 13-14	4	2010	1
UT Pan American	1968-69	1	1969	1
UT Pan American	1973-74 – 74-75	2	1974-75	2
UT Pan American	1992-93 – 94-95	3	1993	1
UT Pan American	1996-97 – 99-00	4	–	–
UT Pan American	3/2010 – 12	2	–	–
Utah	1/1962 – 63	1	1962	1
Utah	2003-04 – 05-06	3	–	–
UTEP	1991-92 – 93-94	3	–	–
UTEP	1997-98 – 2001-02	5	–	–
Villanova	2004-05 – 05-06	2	–	–
Virginia Tech	1987-88 – 88-89	2	1988-89	2
Wake Forest	1994-95	1	–	–
Washington	2/2003 – 05	2	–	–
Weber St	1996-97 – 99-00	4	–	–
Weber St	1/2006 – 08	2	–	–
West Virginia	1957-58	1	–	–
Western Carolina	1977-78	1	1978	1
Western Kentucky	1/1973 – 75	2	1973-74	2
Western Kentucky	1974-75	1	1975	1
Wichita St	1973-74 – 74-75	2	1974-75	2
Wichita St	12/1981 – 84	3	1982-83	2
Wisconsin	1986-87 – 87-88	2	–	–
Wisconsin	2001-02 – 05-06	5	–	–
Yale	1/1970 – 72	2	1970-71	2

*1 The NCAA encouraged it’s member to abstain from scheduling Kentucky during the 1952-53 season.  Essentially giving Kentucky the “death penalty” for that season.

*2 San Francisco shut down it’s own men’s basketball program down for the three seasons it was under NCAA probation.

*3 SE Louisiana shut down it’s own men’s basketball program in 1989 for financial reasons.  While the program was shutdown the NCAA put the school under probation for five years.

*4 Tulane shut down it’s own men’s basketball program for three seasons, due to NCAA violations.

*5 The NCAA handed UL Lafayette (then known as SW Louisiana) the “death penalty”, prohibiting the school from playing men’s basketball games for two seasons (1973-74 – 74-75).


Listed below are major/mid-major schools that have never been placed on NCAA probation.

School

Air Force

Boston College

Butler

BYU

Central Florida

Charlotte

Colorado

Colorado St

Creighton

Duquesne

Evansville

Fordham

George Mason

George Washington

Georgetown

Georgia Tech

Houston

Indiana St

Iowa St

Loyola Marymount

Marquette

Massachusetts

Missouri St

Nebraska

Northern Iowa

Northwestern

Notre Dame

Oklahoma St

Old Dominion

Ole Miss

Penn St

Pepperdine

Portland

Providence

Rhode Island

Rice

Saint Joseph’s

Saint Mary’s

San Diego

Santa Clara

Southern Miss

Stanford

Temple

Tennessee

Texas

Towson

Tulsa

UAB

Vanderbilt

VCU

Virginia

Washington St

Wyoming

Xavier

Only two schools (Northwestern & Penn St) in the Big Ten have stayed off NCAA probation.


Four schools have been placed/renewed on probation five times.  However Minnesota & UT Pan American have spent the most seasons (12) on probation.

Legend: Pct. (Percentage of years the school has been on probation from 1953-2011).

School	Years	Pct.	Instances
Minnesota	12	20.3%	5
UT Pan American	12	20.3%	5
Kansas	10	16.9%	5
Cincinnati	9	15.3%	5
Fresno St	9	15.3%	3
Memphis	9	15.3%	4
New Mexico St	9	15.3%	3
UNLV	9	15.3%	3
Centenary	8	13.6%	3
Florida St	8	13.6%	4
NC St	8	13.6%	4
UL Lafayette	8	13.6%	3
UTEP	8	13.6%	2
Baylor	7	11.9%	3
Illinois	7	11.9%	3
Louisville	7	11.9%	3
McNeese St	7	11.9%	3
San Francisco	7	11.9%	4
SE Missouri St	7	11.9%	3
Wisconsin	7	11.9%	2

Schools from the Big Ten have been placed on probation the most (19 times), and have spent the most seasons under probation (61 seasons).  Only major/mid-major conferences are listed below.

Legend: Sea (# of seasons conference teams have spent on probation), Tms/Yr (# of teams per season on probation)

Conference	Sea	Tms/Sea	Instances
Metropolitan (Defunct)	19	0.95	8
Big 12	15	0.94	5
Big Ten	45	0.76	19
Conference USA	12	0.75	5
Mountain West	7	0.58	2
Southeastern	32	0.54	15
Western Athletic	24	0.49	8
Atlantic Coast	25	0.42	12
Pacific-12	22	0.42	10
Big East	13	0.41	6
Big Eight (Defunct)	14	0.33	7
Missouri Valley	15	0.25	9
Atlantic 10	8	0.23	3
West Coast	12	0.20	6
Southwest (Defunct)	8	0.19	6

The NCAA has handed out/affirmed 119 NCAA tournament bans.  The NCAA Tournament is what every team strives for, and being negated the chance to participate is a severe penalty.

Like the bowl ban in college football, the NCAA has abated in it’s use of the tournament ban in recent decades.  Check out the chart below.





Centenary has been banned for seven tournaments, but sanctioned only twice.

School	Years	Instances
Centenary	7	2
NC St	7	4
UL Lafayette	6	2
Illinois	5	3
Cincinnati	4	3
Kansas	4	3
Memphis	4	3
Minnesota	4	3
New Mexico St	4	3
San Francisco	4	2
Tulane	4	1
UT Pan American	4	3
Wichita St	4	2

Miscellaneous Facts:

Georgetown, Holy Cross, Loyola IL, Marquette, Oklahoma St, and Wyoming are the only schools to have won the NCAA tournament, and stay off the NCAA’s probation list.

Private schools have been placed on probation 52 times, in comparison to the 186 times public schools that have been placed on probation.  Keep in mind there are more public schools than private in Division I.

Schools from the major conferences have been placed on probation 74 times, in comparison to the 165 times schools from the non-major conferences have been placed on probation.


References

Thanks to Robert Bradley for the idea, and and an initial list of teams that have been placed on probation.

The NCAA has made available a database of every major infraction they have dealt with.  You can access their Legislative Services Database to conduct your own research on the topic.  I would have liked to have been able to provide a link to every document I accessed, but unfortunately the links change with every user’s session.  Most of the information posted was found using their database.

The NCAA database was a great resource, but there were some errors and omissions.  Check out this document for a list of newspaper resources I used to fill in some of the gaps.

Conference alignment information was retrieved from College Basketball/Sports-Reference.com.