The controversy over Geno Auriemma’s congratulatory phone call to Little League phenom Mo’ne Davis has resulted in the NCAA ruling that a secondary rules violation took place. UConn has accepted the decision but athletic director Warde Manuel said Thursday the school does not agree.
Manuel issued a statement Thursday evening. Here is his take on the NCAA ruling that was handed down today.
Over the last 24 hours, the University of Connecticut, the American Athletic Conference and the NCAA have been working together to determine whether a violation occurred when head women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma spoke with Mo’ne Davis over the phone during the 2014 Little League World Series. The NCAA has determined a secondary rules violation of bylaw 13.1.3.1 did occur and while UConn accepts this decision, we do not agree with it.
Prior to attempting to reach Davis, Coach Auriemma checked with the UConn compliance department and was advised such a call would be permissible since Davis is not considered a prospective student-athlete by the NCAA and the call was to be congratulatory rather than recruiting in nature.
While UConn will continue to adhere to the NCAA and conference rules, I believe that upon request from a friend to Geno, a proud Philadelphian, to call a young lady representing the City of Brotherly Love who had accomplished historic feats in the Little League World Series, should not constitute a violation especially due to the fact that NCAA rules do not classify Mo’ne as a prospective student-athlete.
The nature of Coach Auriemma’s two-minute conversation with Mo’ne had nothing to do with recruiting and instead had everything to do with congratulating and encouraging Mo’ne to continued success.
I consider this matter closed and we will have no further comment.
As usual, when it comes to NCAA and many of its rules, this penalty is a joke. The Hartford Courant reports several sources the call reporting Auriemma did not come from the Atlantic Coast Conference or the American Athletic Conference. No mention of Big East schools or Tennessee.
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