Today, a federal district judge granted the NCAA's motion for summary judgment in a case brought by former University of Buffalo men's basketball coach Timothy Cohane.
"The court's decision underscores the fairness of the NCAA's infractions process and affirms the integrity and professionalism of the NCAA's enforcement staff," said NCAA Chief Legal Officer Donald Remy. While Cohane has the right to appeal the order, Remy added that "we are confident that the district court's decision is correct and will be upheld."
In 2004, Cohane sued the NCAA, two NCAA enforcement staff members and the former Chair of the NCAA Committee on Infractions, which concluded that Cohane and the university violated NCAA rules during his tenure as coach. In the lawsuit, Cohane alleged that the Committee's infractions report was based on false information and was defamatory. He also claimed that alleged flaws in the NCAA's investigation undermined the fairness of his infractions hearing. The district court dismissed Cohane's complaint in its entirety, adopting an earlier ruling by a federal magistrate, who found that Cohane received adequate process even by constitutional standards and that the enforcement staff's investigation was fair and impartial. The district court also dismissed a similar claim against the university and the Mid-American Conference in a related case, where the magistrate found that any alleged misconduct by university and conference officials was effectively cured by the extensive process later provided to Cohane by the NCAA.
The magistrate's 128-page ruling, and the district court's 32-page order adopting it, both detail the comprehensive opportunities for review available to parties in NCAA infractions cases
