School penalized for former coach's actions

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CHICAGO -- Chicago State was put on NCAA probation for two years Thursday for rules violations in women's basketball, the second program punished for actions under former coach Cheryl Littlejohn.

Chicago State did not lose any scholarships, but the school had its recruiting time restricted the next two years and its preseason practice reduced by a week next season.

The investigation found that Chicago State routinely violated practice limitations and that Littlejohn, fired in September, ordered students to skip class for practice.

The NCAA said Littlejohn held mandatory pickup games in the offseason and that the extent of the violations were so severe that players began keeping their own private practice journals.

Thomas Yeager, chairman of the NCAA infractions committee, said Littlejohn urged her players to miss class for practice.

Last year, Minnesota was put on probation for two years after a university investigation found Littlejohn had given money to a player, bought clothes for others and encouraged players to lie to investigators. She also was found to have arranged free housing for recruits in 1998 and arranged for student managers and assistants to oversee improper workouts in 1998 and 2000.

Littlejohn was hired by Chicago State in 2001, before the infractions at Minnesota were announced.

Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press

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