President Park provides investigation update

In a letter for alumni and other CSC community members, Park said the latest development in the investigation was the Notice of Inquiry from the NCAA on Feb. 3. The Notice of Inquiry designated 2008-2011 as the period to be covered in the investigation of the football program.

Park said there has been a great deal of speculation about the football program and the NCAA investigation, and said the self-report to the NCAA, the findings of a forensic audit and the non-renewal of CSC head football coach Bill O’Boyle’s contract have resulted in many questions. She said that she and others have been as transparent as possible during the process.

“Because this is a personnel matter, we have not been able to answer many of (the questions). However, we have been as transparent as possible and will continue to be,” she said. “As a public institution and as a member of the NCAA, Chadron is bound by state statutes and NCAA regulations regarding such matters. Personnel information and records are confidential and cannot be publically shared.”

She listed previous developments of the case and said investigators from the NCAA will be back on campus next week.

“Although we are anxious to get this stressful time behind us, we want the NCAA to take whatever time is necessary to conduct a thorough investigation,” she wrote. “When it is completed, we hope to get answers to many questions that remain as yet unanswered.”

Park wrote that the administration knew it would face stressful and unpopular decisions upon learning that O’Boyle had placed donations intended for the football program into a personal checking account.

“However, we also knew that the CSC football program and its coaches must abide by NCAA rules, and we were bound to move forward with the self-report of possible infractions,” she wrote.

She closed the letter on an upbeat note, giving recognition to the football program’s recruiting class and the appointment of CSC alumnus Jay Long as head coach.

“In closing, this has been a difficult situation for the football program, our College, alums, and community; however, many other colleges have gone through NCAA investigations and coaching changes and have remained strong – Chadron State College will as well,” she wrote. “As we move forward, we will continue to focus on providing excellent academic and athletic programs and make you proud of Chadron State.”