Details Emerge About Charges Against Murphy, ASU Baseball

The Arizona Republic has obtained and released the list of alleged violations that the NCAA has accused the Arizona State baseball program of committing between 2004 and 2009.

The list is damning.

A total of 10 violations are outlined by the compliance committee. While some might call some of them minor, there are a few that have resulted in other cases in the ineligibility of players and the loss of scholarships.

Here are the allegations, with my commentary mixed in.

1. Baseball officials violated a one-call-per-week rule by making at least 490 phone calls to prospective athletes between January 2004 and June 2009, the NCAA said.

These are the 500 excessive phone calls between Murphy and his staff and recruits.

2. Baseball coach Pat Murphy and four others allegedly committed ethical violations and compromised the NCAA investigation by discussing, and preparing spreadsheets on, matters related to the probe.

This is a little disturbing. It alleges that Murphy and other members of the athletic department knew of impending violations and did nothing to stop them, rather, they documented them.

3. A then-assistant coach engaged in unethical conduct by denying he had conversations with another staff member about improper phone calls to prospects, the NCAA said.

This is pretty standard. Of course they’ll deny any wrong doing.

4. Murphy and a former staffer violated phone-call and other rules in recruiting a prospective athlete.

5. Former athletes, designated as student managers, performed on-field coaching duties during games and batting practices. Their involvement violated regulations that limit the number of coaches.

I’m trying to think back over the years and try and remember who these players and/or coaches might have been.

6. Baseball athletes received impermissible training at non-ASU sports centers between spring 2004 and spring 2008 for a total of $63,000 in extra benefits.

This, presumably, revolves around players improper use of Athlete’s Performance, the training facility located just east of the university.

7. Twenty athletes received a combined $5,889 for work they did not do in Murphy’s Programs for Youth program.

It’s a small amount, roughly an average of just $285 per player. If you’ll recall, though, this is the violation that rendered Oklahoma QB Rhett Bomar ineligible four years ago.

8. Murphy failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance with NCAA rules and to monitor practices of baseball administrators between January 2004 and June 2009, the NCAA alleged.

Presumably, Love terminated Murphy on November 20 to try and appease the NCAA. That’s just my opinion, though.

9. ASU violated institutional control principles related to allegations No. 1, 5, 6 and 7.

This is the “lack of institutional control” violation. It’s the one that states that the athletic department as a whole, coupled with the baseball program, had no proper oversight and contributed to an atmosphere where all of these violations could occur.

Arizona State is in danger of being found to be a repeat offender of this rule after being found to have a lack of control over the football program in the wake of the Loren Wade financial aid debacle.

10. ASU committed a secondary, or lesser, violation by conducting a baseball camp for six prospective athletes during a period when no recruiting was to take place.

This one isn’t major on the surface. It’s the least likely one to land ASU in deep water.

Subscribe to your favorite Phoenix team or sport or Follow us on Twitter.