HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The NJCAA and Kansas Jayhawk Conference has announced sanctions against the HCC woman’s basketball program following a recent investigation. The sanctions announced include the forfeiture of all 35 games won by the Lady Dragons last year including the post season. It also excludes the dragons from the post season next year and reduces the number of scholarships for the next two seasons. The program will loose four scholarships next year and two in the 2016-17 season. Following the ruling, President Dr Carter File made this announcement.
Hutchinson Community College has been notified by the National Junior College Athletic Association of complaints involving the College’s women’s basketball program and that the NJCAA believes constitute violations of the NJCAA’s Bylaws. The College also has been notified by the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference that the allegations identified by the NJCAA also constitute violations of the Conference’s Bylaws.
Specifically, the NJCAA and the Kansas Jayhawk Conference contend that two students who played on the College’s women’s basketball team during the 2014-2015 school year received grants-in-aid from the College in excess of the amounts permitted by NJCAA rules.
The NJCAA informed the College that it will be required to reduce its permitted scholarships from 15 to 11 scholarships for the 2015-2016 school year and to 13 scholarships for the 2016-2017 school year.
The Jayhawk Conference, however, would require the College to forfeit all 2014-2015 games including the 2014-2015 Conference Championship and place the college on probation for the 2015-2016 school year with no opportunity for post-season play. The College intends to appeal and vigorously contest the findings and proposed sanctions of the Jayhawk Conference in accordance with the Conference Bylaws.
The college says it will not comment further on the matter and plans to appeal the ruling.