Ohio State has released information regarding 12 secondary NCAA issues being processed by the athletic department’s compliance office. The Thursday release contained information that seemed to contradict previous statements from the department.

OSU athletic director Gene Smith said there were 12 pending violations during a Tuesday interview with The Lantern, but OSU spokesman Dan Wallenberg said in a Wednesday email that the actual number was less than 12. The Thursday afternoon release lists 12 potential secondary violations.

A Thursday morning statement from Smith also said: “Again, to be clear, the Ohio State football program, its coaches and staff are not facing any violations.” The afternoon release lists four potential violations by the football team. In an email to The Lantern Thursday afternoon, Wallenberg said Smith was referring to the fact that there were no major violations by the football team.

Other teams listed as having possibly committed secondary violations include the women’s hockey, baseball, men’s tennis, field hockey, and men’s gymnastics teams.

There were also two “institutional violations” listed in OSU’s Thursday afternoon release. In one instance, two prospective baseball student-athletes arrived on campus for an official visit before being placed on the request list. The other potential institutional violation was with regard to “athletics financial aid agreements that were issued to three prospective student-athletes without being signed by the financial aid director.”

Smith told The Lantern Tuesday the athletic department has 12 pending NCAA violations.

“We’ve got 12 pending,” Smith said. “It may turn out to be secondary. It may not.”

Smith clarified in a Thursday morning phone call that the potential violations would either be secondary or nothing at all.

OSU’s most recent email containing details of the 12 NCAA issues also contained comment from Big Ten Conference Associate Commissioner for Compliance, Chad Hawley, which was obtained by The Lantern Tuesday evening.

“Division I athletics is a highly regulated environment with a self-reporting requirement,” Hawley said in the email. “When it is clear that a violation has occurred, we expect our institutions to report the violation. Ohio State has a well-established practice of operating in this way.”