(Neb.)-Report: O'Boyle violated NCAA rules

By: Andrew Lacy Posted at: 07/23/2012 12:04 PM
Results of an investigation by Chadron State College (CSC) and the NCAA enforcement regarding possible infractions in the football program at CSC were released Monday morning.

According to the report, former head coach Bill O’Boyle opened a special bank account in February 2009 for funds raised by the annual Last Chance for Glory Golf Tournament (LCG). From 2009 to 2011, nearly $30,000 was deposited in the account. The report says O’Boyle didn’t check whether the account was allowed under NCAA rules. O’Boyle did not tell Athletic Director Brad Smith it existed until former CSC President Janie Park told Smith to find out what was being done with LCG funds in September 2011.

O’Boyle told investigators he created the account because the procedure for getting money from the Chadron State Foundation was inconvenient. Park said O’Boyle objected to having to submit receipts for his expenditures. Smith also said O’Boyle complained about having to document his expenses. Park and Smith both said they heard O’Boyle had told supporters to donate directly to the football program rather than the Foundation.

The investigation found that O’Boyle kept hardly any receipts or other documentation of expenses from the Special account. That made it extremely difficult for investigators to determine whether any of the expenses violated college policies or NCAA rules. O’Boyle suggested he was never told how to account for his spending. However, former Wrestling Coach Scott Ritzen and Basketball Coach Brett Bargen both told investigators they were told to keep receipts for expenses.

In September 2011, O’Boyle signed a declaration saying he had no outside accounts other than the Special account. However in January 2010 he had opened a second “Concessions” account. The account received more than $30,000 in deposits from January 2010 to May 2011. O’Boyle told investigators he hadn’t read all the way through the declaration and thought it only dealt with money from alumni. The account was closed the day after the declaration was signed, and Smith was informed of the account the day after it was closed.

O’Boyle suggested he thought the two accounts would be permissible because he viewed them as being similar to the CSC C Club account, which was established in 1974 to provide letter jackets and sweaters to athletes who qualify as letter winners. Over the years, the account has become more of a general account used to purchase athletic equipment.

The report concludes that the existence of the two accounts violated NCAA rules and that at least some spending from the accounts violated College policy and NCAA rules. The report also asserts that in some instances O’Boyle knowingly misled investigators. The investigator also concluded that the College should have been monitoring O’Boyle more closely and Smith should have asked sooner what was being done with funds from the LCG tournament and how O’Boyle was paying for off-campus trips.

O’Boyle was suspended as head coach on Oct. 17, 2011 and resigned March 3, 2012. He is now the offensive coordinator for Colorado Mesa University.

Smith declined comment and said he has been instructed to direct all questions to the Nebraska State College System.

The report has been submitted to the NCAA and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for review. They will determine whether any violations took place and whether there will be any sanctions against O’Boyle or Chadron State.

The full report is available online at nscs.edu.

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