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NCAA Slaps CSI For Russian Recruiting, Buyanov's Titles Vacated

The NCAA has banned the men’s swimming team at the City University of New York’s College of Staten Island from postseason competition for two years after finding that a former coach of the team committed several violations, the association announced on Thursday.  The NCAA further slapped a show-cause order on the former head coach for his role and vacated the swimmers individual performances, including three NCAA titles by Pavel Buyanov.

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The Infractions Committee reported finding that from 2006 to 2012 the former head Men’s Swimming coach engaged in unethical and impermissible conduct and that CSI lacked institutional control over the Athletics Program.  The coach was found to have facilitated the visa process for international swimmers, arranged low-cost lifeguard certification courses, signed leases for four swimmers and provided free housing for another.

In striking Buyanov’s wins, Kenyon’s Alexander Stoyel and St. Olaf’s Nelson Westby  would seem to lay claim to his national titles. Stoyel was runner up to Buyanov in 2008 in the 200 breaststroke while Westby finished second in the 100 breaststroke in 2009 and 2008.  It is entirely possible, however that the NCAA will simply vacate the titles, much as it did with Penn State's football program.

The committee specifically noted that CSI “self-detected and self-reported the majority of the violations, acted quickly in investigating the violations it discovered, cooperated with NCAA investigators and assisted with the investigation.” The NCAA News Release and Public Infractions Report is available on NCAA.org. Until today, the NCAA has mandated that the investigation by the Infractions Committee remain confidential.

The association cited the Division III college for lacking institutional control over its athletics department and said the former coach had improperly facilitated the visa process for some international athletes, signed leases on their behalf, and provided false or misleading information during interviews.

Other penalties in the case include four years’ probation and a four-year “show cause” order for the former coach, which will make it more difficult for him to be hired elsewhere during that period. The NCAA did not name the former coach, but Bloomberg News identified him as Oleg Soloviev, whom the college dismissed in 2011. The former coach’s lawyer said his client intended to appeal the NCAA’s decision, which he called “unjust.”

CSI President William Fritz, noted in a published statement that the outcome could have been far worse:
“While these penalties are severe, the College was faced with the possibility of even greater sanctions, including the suspension of our Men’s Swimming program. This would have affected the entire Athletics Program. I believe that due to our proactive measures, including self-reporting our violations to the NCAA, cooperating fully with the investigation, and enacting significant, self-imposed remedial measures, the College was able to preserve the continuation of our Swimming Program and the integrity of our Athletics Program.”

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