Michigan football team didn't file practice logs, internal audit says

Michigan football coaches did not submit monthly practice logs to internal compliance officers, according to a University of Michigan internal audit report released today.

The audit, conducted in May, reviewed practice logs for one week during the regular football season and one week during the off-season. “At the time of the review, which was after the 2008/2009 season, no logs had been submitted by football coaches,” the report states.

Without the monthly reports, “compliance with NCAA regulations regarding limits on Countable Athletically Related Activities (CARA) could not be verified for the football team,” according to the report. The Countable Athletically Related Activities are limited to 20 hours per week and four hours per day in season and eight a week in the off-season while school is in session.

Read the Reports

Internal Audit Team July 24 Memo
Internal Audit Team's report on how well U-M meets NCAA rules

Out-of-season football reports were submitted after the audit was completed, the report says. "Regular season CARA forms still have not been submitted," the report says. The forms are not required by the NCAA but are used internally to monitor compliance issues.

The report will be submitted to the Board of Regents on Thursday. The report was shared with the NCAA, according to Kelly Cunningham, director of the Office of Public Affairs at the university.

A memo from the four-person audit team calling for an improved process in the football program was sent July 24 to Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez, director of football operations Brad Labadie and assistant athletic director for football operations Scott Draper.

The Detroit Free Press reported in August that current and former players said they were required to practice and work out in excess of NCAA guidelines. The university then announced an internal investigation into practice guidelines. The NCAA sent an official “Notice of Inquiry” to Michigan on Oct. 23, and said it intends to complete its investigation by Dec. 31.

The university audits department reviewed seven sports (football, men's basketball, ice hockey, men's gymnastics, women's gymnastics, women's golf and wrestling), five camps and three booster clubs. The department, according to the report, plans to conduct annual audits of the athletic department and include all sports over a 5-year cycle. The internal audit includes rules education, practice and playing regulations, camps and booster clubs, coaching staff limits, financial aid, student-athlete eligibility, recruiting and complimentary tickets.

"University Audits did not observe any areas of non-compliance with NCAA rules," the report says.