KEARNEY, Neb. — The Nebraska-Kearney football program is entering a two-year probation period thanks to recruiting violations committed by the program’s former coaching staff.

The NCAA released its negotiated resolution to the public on Wednesday. The probation period started Wednesday and lasts through January 28, 2027. The punishments include a $3,744 fine and a reduction of 83 official paid football recruiting visits, which represents roughly a 19.5% decrease. UNK must also vacate all wins and records from games in which the ineligible players participated. Former head coach Josh Lynn and two former assistant coaches now face a two-year show-cause order.

According to the NCAA case summary, the infractions occurred in August 2021 and July and August 2022. Assistant coaches used university money to pay for one-way airfare for six football recruits, provided or paid for transportation and provided hotel lodging for some of the recruits. The total value of the impermissible benefits was $1,872.

The benefits are impermissible because the NCAA requires recruits to return home in order for a trip to qualify as an official visit. At least some of the recruits never returned home and participated in preseason practice soon after arriving.

The infractions came to light after Lynn left UNK for West Texas A&M in Dec. 2022. West Texas self-reported a similar violation in summer of 2023 and told the NCAA that Lynn said he used the same approach at UNK. The NCAA contacted UNK in Sept. 2023 and the Lopers completed an internal investigation in Oct. 2023.

“We accept responsibility for the mistakes made within our program,” Athletic Director Marc Bauer said in a statement. “Compliance with NCAA rules is a cornerstone of our athletic department, and we are committed to ensuring our student-athletes and staff uphold the highest standards of integrity.”

The case summary says UNK’s compliance office approved hotel lodging for two recruits and reminded coaches to submit the full paperwork. The coaches never submitted the full paperwork for the purchases regarding the six recruits. The NCAA said in its report that compliance workers should never have approved the hotel lodging without receiving all of the necessary paperwork.

“Although this impacts our current staff and team, it does not reflect their mission or the values they represent as leaders,” Bauer said. “We have already implemented additional training and oversight to prevent future violations.”

Three of the recruits eventually participated in 32 combined games. The Lopers must vacate all wins and team records from those games and any individual records secured by the ineligible athletes. Individual records and awards achieved by eligible athletes from that time period will be retained.

UNK will also participate in various NCAA reviews and education programs. That includes the Blueprint Review Program, a comprehensive audit of all policies and procedures. Bauer says UNK has partnered with Teamworks Compliance and Communications Hub with the aim of improving oversight and documentation.

The show-cause order for Lynn means his current school must suspend him for one game, must eliminate all recruiting communications for six weeks and must attend two NCAA rules seminars. Lynn’s WT teams have posted an 8-13 record in his two seasons as coach.

The NCAA didn’t reveal the names of the assistant coaches or athletes.

The Lopers went 3-8 in 2023 and 5-6 in 2024 under new head coach Ryan Held. The Lopers enter 2025 with a new linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator. Ruzell McCoy takes over the job after Jesse Ornelas left to be the defensive coordinator at NAIA Central Methodist.