UND Football Hit with NCAA Penalties

The University of North Dakota football program is under NCAA fire after recruiting violations involving assistant coach Travis Stepps, who communicated with a student-athlete already enrolled at another school. Head coach Eric Schmidt, though not directly involved, is taking full responsibility. Penalties include one year of probation, a $25,000 fine, a one-week recruiting ban in January 2027, reduced paid visits for 2026-27, and three one-week unofficial visit bans. Stepps faces a one-year show-cause order and a one-game suspension. The program’s strong 2025 season, including a Division II playoff run, makes this setback especially painful. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/00e300edea6ac855