The National Collegiate Athletic Association has placed Alabama State University’s athletics program on five years’ probation for running afoul of NCAA rules, including those governing recruiting, financial aid, eligibility, and academic fraud, from 1999 to 2005.

Most of the violations occurred in Alabama State’s football program, the NCAA said. It is the fourth major infractions case for the university and the third for the football program.

In a 43-page report released today, the NCAA’s Division I Committee on Infractions outlined a series of missteps by the university’s athletics administrators. Among other violations, the officials arranged fraudulent academic credits for eight football players by changing their letter grades without authorization, which allowed them to remain academically eligible. The officials also permitted numerous athletes in different sports to practice, compete, and receive scholarships even though they were academically ineligible, the report stated.

In addition to the probation, the NCAA has banned Alabama State’s football team from all postseason play in 2009 and directed the university to vacate all football contests the program won in 2000 and 2001, including its 2001 Southwestern Athletic Conference title. Those penalties are in addition to several sanctions the university has already imposed upon itself.

Officials at Alabama State could not be reached for comment this afternoon. The full infractions report is available on the association’s Web site. —Libby Sander