There was good news and bad news when the story broke Thursday that East Carolina had received one-year probation from the NCAA for academic fraud involving four baseball players and a women's tennis player.

Working as a tutor, the women's tennis player apparently charged a fee per page to write papers for the baseball players. She also put together a power point presentation for one player.

The good news was that there was no postseason ban, no loss of scholarships and no loss of revenue.

The bad news is the damage to ECU's reputation and the reality that penalties could be more severe if there are additional violations in any sport during the probationary period, which reportedly will run through May 18, 2012.

It was not the type of publicity ECU needed in its quest to position itself for inclusion in a BCS conference.

The situation unfolded as an intern in the ECU athletic department became aware that the tutor was writing papers for the baseball players and informed the student development director.

The NCAA apparently was notified by ECU officials regarding the situation and an investigation ensued.

"I was dumbstruck, particularly at the individuals involved," said ECU athletic director Terry Holland of his reaction.

The women's tennis player admitted to investigators that she had charged $10 per page for the papers. Two baseball players reportedly admitted to the infractions when confronted. Freshman infielder Bryan Bass and freshman pitcher Tyler Joyner were suspended indefinitely from the team by Pirates coach Billy Godwin in early March of the 2010 season.

Student privacy laws prevented the names of those involved from being identified by ECU officials. The NCAA said that two baseball players initially denied the charges. The women's tennis player's university email account was monitored and apparently confirmed the involvement of junior shortstop Dustin Harrington and junior pitcher Stihl Sowers.

Harrington and Sowers were dismissed from the program on April 1, 2010. Coincidentally, the Pirates were getting ready to start a series with Tulane at that time, just as they were when the probation was announced Thursday. ECU was 17-9 when Harrington and Sowers were dismissed. Terms of the NCAA action stated that the Pirates would have to vacate those 17 wins.

They will be subtracted from Godwin's win totals but individual stats will remain, according to reports. Seth Maness' school record for pitching wins won't be affected.

Coach Godwin told The Pirates Chest magazine earlier this year that players' academics are closely monitored. The team compiled a record grade point average in the fall. There are nightly study halls for players who need that degree of discipline to ensure proper focus. The players submit a weekly journal to the coaches that lists their academic assignments for each course they are taking.

Many of the Pirate baseball players have made academic honor rolls at ECU and also for Conference USA.

It is unfortunate that poor decisions by a few have potential consequences for many.

"It happened," Holland said. "No one wanted it to happen, for sure. And I can assure you everyone is dedicated to making sure nothing like this occurs in the future."

ECU was penalized two men's basketball scholarships in March of 2006 in an NCAA action in response to the program's Academic Progress Rate. Those grants have since been restored. The football program reported secondary infractions last summer for a coach who was improperly supervising summer workouts. That coach resigned.

The Pirates have occasionally erred but have cooperated fully with the NCAA by reporting violations and taking action to prevent future infractions.

Holland said Godwin had been supportive of the university's action and had not commented on the situation as he had been asked not to by ECU officials.

"ECU is embarrassed by the unacceptable academic fraud committed by a few student athletes who acted on their own volition," said ECU chancellor Steve Ballard in a university release. "We have implemented numerous corrective actions and we will continually improve our practices with the intention of being one of the best universities in terms of academic integrity and compliance."

Among the steps taken by the university are the addition of an additional compliance officer, Jamie Johnson, who came from Rutgers in February. He will report directly to Ballard. (View ECU SID release announcing Johnson's hiring)

Student-athletes will no longer be used as tutors in the Student Development Office within the athletic department.

The Division of Academic Affairs will now oversee the Student Development Office, which was previously the responsibility of the athletic department.

Now in place are regulations regarding training for tutors of athletes. Actions which constitute academic fraud are clearly defined.

Provost Marilyn Sheerer spoke at a press conference Thursday.

"The record shows we responded quickly, investigated vigorously, immediately self-reported violations and took decisive corrective steps without being asked," Sheerer said. "We have great confidence in baseball coach Billy Godwin and women's tennis coach Tom Morris and in the integrity of the programs."

The women's tennis program will vacate eight wins in accordance with the NCAA's action.

Of particular concern is that ECU produce a clean record over the next 12 months.

"This has been a traumatic event for our athletic program that has negatively impacted the lives of young student-athletes and embarrassed us all," Holland said. "While the athletics department's response was immediate and appropriate, as recognized by the NCAA, it is critically important that the safeguards and guidelines implemented to educate our student-athletes are sufficient to prevent future problems."

Conference USA commissioner Britton Banowsky credited ECU's handling of the situation.

"We are pleased with the way this difficult situation was managed," Banowsky said. "The university took swift and decisive action to not only address the immediate issue, but put safeguards in place to prevent it from happening again. Their response was excellent."

According to the university release, Chancellor Ballard chairs a special University of North Carolina Task Force on Athletics and Academics examining ways to strengthen athletic programs and ensure the academic success of student athletes. The task force is set to make recommendations this summer. The task force was formed after an NCAA investigation into improprieties in the UNC-Chapel Hill football program last season.

ECU will be required during the year to notify all baseball and women's tennis prospects that the school is on probation. It also must provide a compliance report to the committee on infractions. The university also must file a letter from the chancellor at the end of the probation period affirming that athletics policies and procedures conform to NCAA regulations.

The price of $10 per page has been determined. The total includes 25 wins in 2010, 365 days of good behavior in the afternath — or else — and five ECU athletic careers derailed. The indiscretions were expensive across the board.

[ View Box Score in New Window ]