Baddour: UNC's academic misconduct 'may date back a year or more'

WILMINGTON -- University of North Carolina Athletics Director Dick Baddour told the UNC system's Board of Governors today that academic misconduct by members of the football team may date back a year or more.

Asked whether the cheating could have happened in prior years, Baddour said, "The short answer is yes. We will go where the information leads us. If that isn't the immediate year ... we will go where the information takes us."

Baddour didn't say anything more on that issue.

The comments came this afternoon during an appearance by Baddour and University of North Carolina Chancellor Holden Thorp at a committee meeting of the UNC system's Board of Governors, which sets policy for all public universities. The board is meeting this week on the campus of UNC Wilmington.

Several board members peppered Thorp and Baddour with questions about the ongoing NCAA investigation into the football program. One branch of the probe has focused on allegations of academic misconduct involving football players and a university tutor who also worked for Tar Heels football coach Butch Davis' family.

The other prong of the probe is investigating the possibility that some UNC football players have had improper contact with a sports agent.

Asked whether the university has a concrete indication that the academic misconduct stretches back a year or more, Thorp said, "I just can't say. We're going to look where the facts take us."

The questions posed to Thorp and Baddour, largely touched on procedural issues, and Thorp said he doesn't yet know when resolution on the issues will be reached.