Athletics aware of IUPD inquiry

The IU Athletics Department said in a brief statement Monday it is aware of the investigation involving misuse of University long-distance codes by IU football players, and it is cooperating with the IU Police Department.\nThe statement went on to say the Athletics Department will provide further comment should the police investigations warrant a response.\nIU Athletics Department Media Relations Director Jeff Fanter said the Athletics Department's statement is credited to both IU football coach Gerry DiNardo and IU Athletics Director Terry Clapacs. \nNCAA bylaws prohibit the use of telephone, calling cards or credit cards for personal use without charge by student athletes, calling it an extra benefit.\nWhen the total is less than $100, players must pay restitution. For larger sums, the guidelines mandate suspensions. In a similar case, the Villanova men's basketball team suspended 12 players in March after an internal investigation showed players had been making unauthorized phone calls.\nNCAA spokeswoman Gail Dent said the organization won't comment on an ongoing investigation. Dent said a university under investigation can comment on the investigation if it so chooses.\nIU spokeswoman Jane Jankowski could not be reached for comment late Monday.\nDent, who could not comment on whether IU self-reported these secondary infractions, said sanctions levied upon the team depend on the totality of all the parts and not how the NCAA became aware of the bylaw breaches.\nThe investigation was prompted last week during an IUPD investigation into a similar, but not related, phone fraud case at Foster Quad.\nA member of the football team approached police and confessed to using a stolen IU long-distance phone code, which he said he received from a teammate. The personal access code belongs to an unnamed IU football coach, police said.\nPolice said they think one player saw the number sitting on a coach's desk during a meeting, copied the number and then distributed it to at least nine other players.\nThree other teammates told the IDS they were aware of the unauthorized phone calls by their teammate but denied any involvement of their own.\nAt IU, campus residents, faculty and staff members can only make long distance calls using the University phone service after they enter a seven-digit personal access code, or PAC. The PAC acts as a billing number so UITS can bill the correct resident, staff or faculty member for long-distance calls.\nThe $480 worth of calls equals 5,333 minutes or 88 hours of calling time.\n-- Contact staff writer Brandon Morley at bmorley@indiana.edu.