I read the NCAA report (as a parent of a Denison student athlete) and found it interesting. In a nutshell, when the school went test optional for 2008-09, the school implemented a ratings system to assess test optional applicants which included “soft” factors such as leadership, athletics etc. That was fine. What was impermissible was that the admissions score was used by financial aid, presumably for merit, although that isn’t specified, without backing out the points in the score attributable to athletics. Apparently, one reason that wasn’t flagged as an issue sooner was that athletics folks were walled off from the admissions and aid process – as one would hope. When athletics personnel learned about it as a result of the investigation, they recognized that the points in the admissions score attributable to athletics should have been backed out before the money decision was made. However, it was admissions/financial aid people who didn’t catch it. Over 5 years, 24 students were affected. As a result of the NCAA investigation, the school was penalized, with records stripped, probation etc. New systems were implemented, with improved training and with greater transparency among senior administration on athletics and admissions and aid. To my mind, what is interesting is that, this was a “major infraction” and, to an outsider, it sounds like an admissions process was developed for test optional students which people did not realize had an unintended impact on money decisions. Athletics was not involved in the decision and did not know about it. Sounds like the school admitted its mistakes, accepted the penalties and fixed it.