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NCAA Slaps OU Football With Indefinite Probation
By Gabby Wilson
One man's generosity put up a goal line stand and stopped Oklahoma's team from a possible trip to the Orange Bowl next year.
However, the United Press International quoted Orange Bowl officials as saying Oklahoma's indefinite probation could allow them to pick a competing team from outside the Big Eight to play in the bowl in 1961.
The man who did what has been impossible for groups of 11 to do is Arthur L. Wood,' an Oklahoma City accountant and booster of the Sooners. The NCAA slapped the indefinite probation on Oklahoma because of Wood's alleged "recruiting fund."
With the removal of the Sooners from the Big Eight football race next year, KU should become the favored team in the conference.
As a result of the probation Oklahoma will not be able to appear on any NCAA television programs or in any post season games for an indefinite period. The Sooners, who were placed on probation in 1955 for two years, have won the Big Eight championship the last 12 years.
Don Fambrough, assistant football coach, summed up the feeling displayed on the campus when he said this morning;
"It came as a complete surprise to me."
Many experts had already started predicting that next year's conference title would fall to either Oklahoma or KU.
Oklahoma was favored to win the title again this year but the New
Year's trip to the bowl is out unless Wood will disclose the full operations of the fund under his administration from 1952 to 1954.
The big question is whether or not Wood will produce the desired records, and assume the full blame so that the NCAA would lift the band placed on Oklahoma. It seems that such a staunch backer would do this, unless he did not want something else uncovered.
But when contacted at his Oklahoma City home he gave no indication of taking any steps to help lift the probation from Oklahoma when he bluntly said:
The money referred to was the money I gave Bill Jennings (now Nebraska's football coach) personally to defray travel expenses for prospective athletes during a period from 1952 to 1954. That was the time the Big Eight prohibited such travel expenses, but this was not a violation of the NCAA rules. The money had nothing to do with any organized fund. It was just from me personally."
The amount of money which was in question was $6,000. Walter Byers, executive secretary of the NCAA, indicated that the information was that there was a larger sum than that actually involved.
"I don't plan to cooperate at all, either with the University or the NCAA. I don't give a damn."
The rumors were spreading all over the hill yesterday. The word was out that a Big Eight school was up for action by the NCAA. Many on campus thought it was KU. After all what other team in the league got football players from Texas this year. Most figured that
they didn't come here just because the school was better. It isn't every day that a football player changes schools, let alone four in the same year, all to the same university.
The president of the University of Oklahoma said that the athletic staff did not know of the assistance until a year ago and that they had cooperated fully with the NCAA's investigation. He said that when the violation was first learned of that Bud Wilkinson, head football coach, took immediate steps to inform the NCAA of it.
The university says that it is has made repeated attempts to persuade Wood to show his records to the NCAA. But Wood has said that it is a "closed issue."
Thursday. Jan. 7. 1960 University Daily Kansan
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