Indianapolis, IN (My Sportsbook) - The NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee has upheld a one-year bowl ban on California's football program.

The committee also reduced the penalty that imposed a reduction of nine grants-in-aid during the 2002-03 through 2005-06 academic years and it found that the institution did not demonstrate a lack of institutional control with regard to some portions of the academic fraud violation but not others.

The penalties were issued in June of this year, but California appealed the ruling. The case originated because of academic improprieties involving two football student-athletes in 1999.

"While we are saddened that our student-athletes will be deprived of a possible bowl game experience, we do find some solace in the fact the NCAA recognized the merits of our appeal and have reduced our penalties," said California athletic director Steve Gladstone. "Our heart goes out to the seniors on this team, particularly, who deserved a better fate. In no way, should today's ruling diminish the great accomplishments of our 2002 team, which produced one of the greatest turnaround seasons in college football history."

It was also determined that a number of football student-athletes received extra benefits through incidental expenses of varying amounts while staying at hotels for competitions from 1997 through 2001. Three prospective student- athletes were involved in recruiting violations during the 2000-01 academic year when they received incidental expenses while staying at a hotel for an official visit. They later competed for the institution while ineligible.

The academic fraud violation occurred when two football student-athletes received credit for courses in which they did not attend a sufficient number of sessions or complete sufficient academic work to receive credit. In August 1999, the two enrolled retroactively in spring semester classes and received passing grades from the professor who taught the courses.

Between 1997 through the 2001 football seasons, 38 football student-athletes received incidental hotel expenses ranging from nominal amounts to more than $300 while the team traveled for competition. Of those, 27 competed while ineligible.

The Committee on Infractions found California failed to adequately investigate allegations of academic fraud after repeated indications that the violations had occurred.

The Golden Bears are 6-5 this season and will play their final game of 2002 this Saturday against Stanford.