UCLA women's cross country and track and field programs hit with NCAA sanctions

The UCLA women’s cross country and track and field programs reached an agreement with the NCAA to comply with a variety of penalties after acknowledging responsibility for recruiting violations.

As a result of impermissible communications, largely with parents of college athletes at other schools who were not in the transfer portal, the programs agreed to one year of probation, a $5,000 fine, recruiting restrictions and the vacating of records from all competitions in which the involved athletes were ineligible.

According to the NCAA, UCLA fully cooperated with the investigation and worked with the organization’s enforcement staff to resolve the matter. But one former assistant cross country and track and field coach has disputed the violations in the agreement and is expected to resolve his part of the case through a separate hearing.

UCLA released a statement that read: "UCLA Athletics reached an agreement with the NCAA regarding this previous matter. As the case is ongoing, we have no further comment.”

The NCAA Committee on Infractions' final decision on the case — including possible violations and penalties for the assistant coach — is pending. The separation of the cases allowed the UCLA programs to immediately begin serving their penalties while awaiting the final decision.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .