The Army football team lured high school recruits this year with alcohol, cash from boosters and a dinner date with woman cadets, according to a newspaper report. West Point acknowledged misconduct.
The Gazette of Colorado Springs reported that 20 cadets were disciplined and two officers and two coaches reprimanded, but the newspaper reported that punishment stopped short of dismissal or court-martial for the officers.
Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., the West Point superintendent, said in a statement that the academy reported infractions to the NCAA, which imposed no penalties beyond the school’s. The statement acknowledged underage drinking among team members and recruits and “other questionable behavior.”
But he disputed some points in the Gazette article, including that the academy arranged a dinner date for recruits with female cadets. The Gazette reported that 14 recruits arrived at West Point in January and were treated to a raucous time — including the cash, the alcohol and a ride on a party bus with cheerleaders and a police escort.