ONU has lost postseason eligibility for 2005 from a 2003 practice rules violation. ONUSports.com

The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions placed Ohio Northern on two years of probation and banned its football team from 2005 postseason competition for conducting a number of impermissible out-of-season practices, in an announcement made Wednesday, Sept. 21.

The university is appealing the decision and the team's playoff eligibility will be restored until the appeal is heard, a process which could take months.

"The NCAA has informed us today (Thursday, Sept. 22) that the penalty regarding the ban on the 2005 football playoffs will be stayed pending the outcome of our appeal," ONU president Kendall Baker said. "The NCAA guidelines detail a specific outline of the appeals process. We are very pleased that, in accordance with the NCAA's guidelines, our football team will remain eligible for postseason play during the appeal."

The committee also rendered a finding of unethical conduct against the former head coach for knowingly violating the out-of-season practice bylaws and asking other coaches and student-athletes to provide false or misleading information to investigators.

The NCAA Division III Committee on Infractions also rendered a finding of unethical conduct against Kaczkowski for knowingly violating the out-of-season practice bylaws and asking other coaches and student-athletes to provide false or misleading information to investigators. ONU terminated Kaczkowski following an internal investigation into the practices, all of which took place during summer 2003.

Between June and mid-August of that year, Kaczkowski and one of his assistants attended and provided skill instruction at "throwing sessions" attended by the quarterback and wide receivers. The coaches tracked who attended and contacted absentees.

During the week of Aug. 18-23, 2003, the week prior to fall football camps, the coaches conducted larger practice sessions with position players. The players were divided by position and provided with skill instruction by members of the coaching staff. Kaczkowski claimed he was unaware of legislation making the practices impermissible.

In its public infractions report, the Committee on Infractions stated: "The rules he violated are well-known, clear and unambiguous. The former head coach was in his position for 17 years and his contention that he somehow was unaware of these basic tenets of competition is not persuasive."

ONU reported the violations to the NCAA at the time. 

"We are very pleased that the NCAA's investigation of our football program yielded findings that are in complete accord with the investigation undertaken by the University," Baker said. "... we do not, however, agree with the NCAA's decision to ban our football team from the 2005 playoffs and will appeal that decision immediately. We do not understand why our current student-athletes are being punished for a violation that occurred two years ago that had nothing to do with them. We accept the two-year probation and the remainder of their findings, but we will appeal the playoff ban."