May 10, 2004

By Stefanie Nakasone
Ka Leo O Hawaii (U.Hawaii)

(U-WIRE) HONOLULU, Hawaii - The University of Hawai'i men's volleyball team will have to vacate the 2002 national championship after the NCAA turned down the university's appeal filed in October 2003.

The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions, which has deliberated over the university's appeal of the removal of the Warriors' championship due to the use of an ineligible player, mandated that the original ruling would stand.

"This is the end," UH Athletics Director Herman Frazier said Tuesday of the year-long issue, adding that the university has "exhausted all our appeals."

Frazier said that he considers the matter "completely closed."

On May 7, 2003, the NCAA notified the University of a possible infraction of eligibility rules concerning one of its players on the championship squad. The university then conducted its own investigation and reported its findings to the NCAA on July 9.

The report showed that one of the team's foreign-born players, four-time first team All-American Costas Theocharidis, had played on a professional team before competing for the Warriors. On Sept. 5, the NCAA stripped the Warriors of their title.

"I am disappointed that our appeal was not successful, but I am very ready to move on," Hawai'i coach Mike Wilton read from a statement. "The record will show that our coaching staff and our departmental officials implicitly followed the rules, and acted with due diligence in all possible ways."

Frazier said he believed that the seven-month wait was a good sign.

"We continued to go back with information, and they really listened," Frazier said.

Legally representing the university in the matter was Jan Gouveia and Judge Walter Kirimitsu. Gouveia was present during Tuesday's press conference and explained that the dispute was over the wording of a rule change in August 2002, regarding players on professional teams.

Gouveia said the basis of the appeal was that the rule does not mandate the removal of a title but says that the NCAA "may" remove a title. Frazier said that the appeals process cost the university less than $20,000.

After hosting the 2004 Final Four last week, during which Hawaii's championship banner hung from the rafters of the Stan Sheriff Center, the Warriors and their fans will now have to look up at an empty space, as the banner, as well as the championship trophy, will need to be returned to the NCAA.

Frazier said that the banner has already been taken down, and Wilton added that the trophy was on its way back to the NCAA. Frazier said that players will be allowed to keep their championship rings.

As stated in the original ruling, the university will also have to delete the record of the team's performance in the championship, as well as its first-place finish in the standings. The university stated that the $5,000 fine also mandated by the NCAA has already been paid. Theocharidis, who was named the 2002 AVCA Player of the Year, must also return all individual awards he received in the 2002 season.

"It is now time for all of us to move on and expend our energy on the student-athletes currently in our program," Frazier said.

Hawai'i has not been the only men's volleyball program to face accusations of ineligible players in recent years. In fact, both the 2003 and 2004 championship teams have faced similar charges.

Lewis, which won the title in 2003, has conducted its own investigation regarding the eligibility of outside hitter Gustavo Meyer. A decision is yet to be reached on the Flyers' case.

This year's champion Brigham Young has also faced ineligibility problems, as opposite Joe Hillman, 27, was accused by coaches at UCLA of using up his eligibility. However, the NCAA dismissed the charges. UCLA too has had to deal with an ineligible player, Cameron Mount, after it was discovered that the coaches had miscounted how many years he had played with the Bruins. Neither Wilton nor Frazier would discuss these cases.

Despite the problems of possible professional experience, Wilton said that he will not stop recruiting foreign players, although the way in which he and his staff recruit will be changed.

"We are not going to stop recruiting international students," Wilton said. "Part of the mission of our university is to have international students come here and matriculate. And why shouldn't we create the opportunity for them to have the rights that all students have."

Though the title is taken away, former Warrior setter Kimo Tuyay said that it is the memories that count.

"We will forever know in our hearts that we won a national championship, and no one can ever take that away from us," Tuyay said.