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Michigan may have to forfeit Penn St., ND wins

Wolverines used ineligible player for first four games of season

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updated 11:47 a.m. ET Oct. 1, 2007

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The Big Ten may take up to three weeks to decide whether to discipline Michigan’s football program for using an ineligible player.

Athletic director Bill Martin said he didn’t know whether penalties, if any, might include forfeiture of the Wolverines’ 14-9 victory over then-No. 10 Penn State on Sept. 22. It was one of three games in which freshman safety Artis Chambers played this season. A victory over Notre Dame also is in jeopardy.

Martin said Saturday that the university immediately contacted the Big Ten after learning that Chambers was ineligible under the conference’s freshman rules. Chambers, who enrolled at Michigan in January, cannot play the remainder of the season and did not travel with the team for Saturday’s game at Northwestern. The Fort Wayne, Ind., native can still practice with the Wolverines.

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Big Ten spokesman Scott Chipman declined Monday to elaborate on the process a compliance subcommittee would use in determining possible sanctions against Michigan.

Martin and athletic department spokesman Bruce Madej said Monday that they could not talk about Chambers’ case because of privacy laws. Coach Lloyd Carr refused to discuss the situation at his weekly news conference Monday.

Martin acknowledged Saturday that the university had misinterpreted Big Ten freshman eligibility rules.

“Obviously, I take full responsibility for that,” he said. “This isn’t on Lloyd — it’s on us.”

Martin said he hoped the matter would be resolved sometime this week.

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