Sounds like things are getting wild for the Army football program.
Per the Gazette, the academy “acknowledged the misconduct” and admitted 20 cadets had been disciplined with two officers and two Army coaches facing reprimands. The academy also self-reported a recruiting violation to the NCAA.
A spokesperson told the Gazette that the football players involved were punished “administratively,” and an internal report showed they did not play in Army’s spring game. The players’ NCAA eligibility was not affected.
From the Gazette’s account of the party, which included 14 recruits on a West Point visit in late January:
The recruits headed to the mall on a chartered bus with a full police escort from West Point and wound up at a bowling alley known for turning a blind eye to underage drinking, the report said …
Booster money allocated for the evening was handed across the bar and alcohol came back. Cadets said they ordered “beer towers” containing quarts of the beverage and allowed recruits – high school athletes – to drink their fill.
Some cadets reported having as many as seven drinks in 90 minutes before a wild bus ride home. Some of the hosts handed leftover booster money to the recruits, the report found.
The same internal report found that in February, director of football operations Lt. Col. Chad Davis arranged for cheerleaders and Army women’s basketball and volleyball players to go on dinner dates with recruits.
Per the report, first-year Army coach Jeff Monken was aware of the bus party but did not report the incident to administrators. A letter sent from the NCAA to the academy warned that Monken would face a suspension if a second such violation occurs.
[h/t CBS Sports]