NCAA Committee Will Penalize USC for Behavior at Tennis Tournament

The chairman of the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. men’s tennis committee said the panel has decided to punish USC for a series of incidents at the championship tournament in Athens, Ga., last month.

In an interview published in today’s editions of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Jeff Frank, the panel chairman and tennis coach at Davidson College, said the incidents cited included an outburst by Trojan player Rick Leach.

Leach, son of Coach Dick Leach, at one point jumped on the hood of a car and threatened fans with a tennis racket.

Frank would not disclose the penalties agreed upon by the committee. The penalties could range from a private reprimand to a fine. Penalties can be appealed to the NCAA executive committee.

Georgia, which defeated USC in the tournament semifinals, won the team title for the second consecutive year.