NCAA Investigated Harvard Violations

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has twice since 1970 investigated the Harvard Athletic Department for minor violations of NCAA regulations, Eric Cutler, assistant director of athletics, said yesterday.

Keith Colburn '70, holder of Harvard's record in the 1000-yd. run, allegedly ran in a number of Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) meets that were not sanctioned by the NCAA, when he was a student here, Cutler said.

The AAU paid Colburn's way to and from meets that were as far away as California, Cutler said.

In addition, three Harvard hockey players from Canada were investigated during the NCAA's investigation of Boston University hockey players Bill Buckton and Peter Marzo. The Harvard players lived and played away from home while they were in high school, and one of the player's coaches allegedly paid his rent.

The NCAA was investigating whether any of the players had committed a violation by signing Ivy League certificates of eligibility, but "everything was clarified" after Cutler and Randy Roth '75, a Harvard hockey captain, traveled to an NCAA meeting in Chicago, Cutler said.

Niether Colburn nor Roth could be reached for comment yesterday.