Recruiting Violations?

[DastardlyDave]

https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/06/05/und-football-faces-serious-penalties-after-tampering-violations/

[FSSD]

7 hours ago, DastardlyDave said:

https://www.valleynewslive.com/2026/06/05/und-football-faces-serious-penalties-after-tampering-violations/

Wow, you can't make this stuff up with the Fargo media:

1. No mention that playoff eligibility is unaffected and that no scholarships were impacted.
2. Apparently, the FCS is now Division II in Fargo. From the article: "UND Football is coming off a successful 2025 season that moved onto the second round of the NCAA Division II football tournament."

What can you say? Fargo is going to Fargo.

[UND1983]

I am really worried.  

[Nodak1883]

11 minutes ago, FSSD said:

Wow, you can't make this stuff up with the Fargo media:

1. No mention that playoff eligibility is unaffected and that no scholarships were impacted.
2. Apparently, the FCS is now Division II in Fargo. From the article: "UND Football is coming off a successful 2025 season that moved onto the second round of the NCAA Division II football tournament."

What can you say? Fargo is going to Fargo.

It's also VNL, which for the past 10+ years has basically become a trash tabloid rag for Fargo with what stories they publish. 

[Nodak1883]

7 minutes ago, UND1983 said:

I am really worried.  

Honestly the penalties are pretty minor:

1. One year of probation
2. $25,000 fine
3. A one-week ban on recruiting communications for the football program during the January 2027 notification-of-transfer window
4. A 3% reduction in official paid visits in football during the 2026-27 academic year
5. Three one-week bans on football unofficial visits during the 2026-27 academic year
6. A one-year show-cause order for Stepps, during which any employing NCAA member school must restrict him from communicating with four-year transfer prospects during the entire January 2027 football notification-of-transfer window.
7. One-game suspension for Stepps during the 2026 football season.

 

#3 is probably the worst of the bunch. Travis is a DB coach so I would expect him to be out for the home opener against LIU which fulfils (#7). The unofficial visits likely can be taken during slower recruiting periods or stacked together depending on how they need to be taken (#5). #6 probably won't be hard to work through as it's only one recruiting year. I don't know how often #4 occurs to determine its severity either.  

[Shawn-O]

9 hours ago, Nodak1883 said:

Honestly the penalties are pretty minor:

1. One year of probation
2. $25,000 fine
3. A one-week ban on recruiting communications for the football program during the January 2027 notification-of-transfer window
4. A 3% reduction in official paid visits in football during the 2026-27 academic year
5. Three one-week bans on football unofficial visits during the 2026-27 academic year
6. A one-year show-cause order for Stepps, during which any employing NCAA member school must restrict him from communicating with four-year transfer prospects during the entire January 2027 football notification-of-transfer window.
7. One-game suspension for Stepps during the 2026 football season.

 

#3 is probably the worst of the bunch. Travis is a DB coach so I would expect him to be out for the home opener against LIU which fulfils (#7). The unofficial visits likely can be taken during slower recruiting periods or stacked together depending on how they need to be taken (#5). #6 probably won't be hard to work through as it's only one recruiting year. I don't know how often #4 occurs to determine its severity either.  

So did we get the kid? 

[SiouxFan100]

Embarrassing 

[Oxbow6]

10 minutes ago, Shawn-O said:

So did we get the kid? 

He talked to 12 other schools before UND, so no.

[UND1983]

The kid was no good, per my sources.  Which makes it worse