Neuheisel appears before infractions committee

Husky football coach Rick Neuheisel sat before an NCAA infractions committee hearing for more than 11 hours Friday in Philadelphia. Neuheisel answered questions about alleged violations the University of Colorado's football program committed during his tenure as head coach from 1995 to 1998.

"It was a necessary thing to do," Neuheisel said. "I have a healthy respect for the process and wanted to make sure that I answered any questions that any of the people had for me."

Of the 53 total allegations, 51 of them occurred while Colorado's program was under Neuheisel's watch.

Joining Neuheisel were six officials from Colorado, including Boulder Campus Chancellor Richard Byyny, Athletic Director Dick Tharp and head football coach Gary Barnett. Besides answering questions from the committee, the officials and Neuheisel were given the chance to follow up on a 900-page response they submitted in June about the investigation.

"We appreciated the opportunity to provide an overview of our official response to the letter of inquiry and to respond to specific questions," Byyny said in a written statement. "We also were pleased that the NCAA staff had modified the allegation of 'lack of institutional control' to a possible 'failure to monitor.'"

Although NCAA staff had modified the charge to a possible "failure to monitor" the football program, a lesser infraction, the committee has the final word on that kind of change.

Neuheisel has no further comment on the investigation until the committee makes its decision in four to six weeks.

"To guess as to how they've reacted ... is very difficult to do," Neuheisel said.

Neuheisel returned to Seattle in time for the football team's 9:45 a.m. practice Saturday morning. He said the NCAA's investigation does not distract him from the upcoming season.

"It's not a distraction at all," Neuheisel said. "We're full speed ahead."