by Dan Flynn

The University of California-Berkeley conceded in February that the school gave passing grades to two varsity football players for classes that they never attended and for which they did no work. The admission follows a lengthy investigation by the Pacific-10 athletic conference that found evidence of academic fraud.

Ethnic studies professor Alex Saragoza retroactively admitted Mike Ainsworth and Ronnie Davenport, two wide-receivers on the UC-Berkeley football team, to his ethnic studies class during the final days of the spring semester of 1999. The passing grade in the class enabled Davenport and Ainsworth to play that fall for the Berkeley football team.

In the ensuing investigation conducted by Berkeley, neither Saragoza nor the students could provide any papers or tests taken by the players prior to the final exam. Students enrolled in the course reported never seeing either of the football players in attendance for any class meetings. Additionally, computer records show that Ainsworth and Davenport did not enroll in the class until the semester was coming to an end. Despite this evidence, the university initially determined that no wrongdoing had occurred. Saragoza noted that he was appalled that he would be accused of dishonesty. "When I do give students a break, it's not based on whether they're athletes or Chicano, or politically to the left," Saragoza commented last spring.

"Both were in class," Saragoza told the Daily Californian last year. "Both attended the class, one more sporadically than the other. I never knew why they never attended the class on time." The ethnic studies professor added that, "This is humiliating and embarrassing that something like this would be raised."

What proved more "humiliating and embarrassing" for both Saragoza and Berkeley was the truth of the allegations. "Berkeley's academic integrity must be beyond reproach," Chancellor Robert Berdahl declared in a statement released on February 26. "The sad fact is that our community's most honored standards were violated." Berkeley has recommended to Pac-10 officials that the school lose four football scholarships as a result of the fraud.

On March 7, Brad Coonan, Assistant Commissioner of Governance and Enforcement for the Pac-10, told Campus Report regarding Berkeley's infraction: "Last week, we had a hearing on it and the recommendations will go to the Pac-10 counsel and presidents in June." The hearing's findings and its assessed penalty will be kept confidential until June. The Pac-10 official refused to comment on the hearing or the penalty to be meted out. Coonan notes that if the NCAA views the Pac-10's penalty as too light, the governing body could impose a stiffer sanction. Although the Pac-10 "absolutely has the ability to punish the student athletes," Coonan pointed out, "the conference has no authority to punish the professor."

Saragoza has not been punished by the University of California. He blames the affair upon the student-athletes, who he claims took advantage of him.

Berkeley traditionally fields the worst football team in the Pac-10. The Bears have not appeared in the Rose Bowl-the January 1st contest that traditionally features the Pac-10 champion against the champion of the Big 12-since 1959 and have not won the game since 1938. At 3 wins and 8 losses, the team came in last place during the latest season. During the season that Davenport and Ainsworth played, the team was only 4-7. The two receivers, however, were standouts on the team. Both scored three touchdowns and were the two leading receivers on the squad, with Ainsworth accounting for 499 receiving yards and Davenport for 211.

The scandal first came to the attention of authorities at the NCAA via a disgusted teammate of Ainsworth and Davenport. The football team seems to have had nothing to do with the academic fraud.

In the wake of Berkeley's damning admission, Head Football Coach Mike Holmoe remarked, "Nobody likes bad news, but we have to accept the consequences of the situation, and make the best of it. I'm gratified that the report shows it to be an isolated case and that our staff played no role in the improprieties. There is some pain we'll feel in the proposed sanctions, but it's not going to undermine our goal to acheive major success over the next few seasons."

The two student-athletes have since left the flagship institution of the University of California system after performing poorly in classes during the fall semester of 1999. Both now attend community colleges. Saragoza was recently promoted to vice president for minority outreach for the entire University of California system. Despite calls for his resignation by the Daily Californian and numerous individuals, Saragoza remains in office.