ASU’s two-year probation over

Arizona State’s two-year NCAA probation for impermissible benefits and lack of institutional control expires today, but there will be no cake and confetti in the school’s athletic offices.

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“It will be a quiet celebration,” said Bill Kennedy, associate athletic director for compliance. “One thing we will do is look on the NCAA’s Web site, where there is a listing off all of the schools currently on probation. We’re going to check that on Saturday, because we should not be there anymore.”

In 2004, ASU began an internal investigation into extra benefits received by ex-football player Loren Wade from Wendy Adams, a former compliance department assistant with whom Wade had developed a friendship.

That led to the discovery of 60 other athletes getting improper aid, which school officials indicated was the result on an inadequate computer system and faulty record keeping.

The NCAA and Pac-10 placed the school on probation, which was not aimed at a specific team and did not limit television or postseason appearances. The Pac-10 penalty, also for two years, expired in June.

ASU was required to prepare three reports for the NCAA detailing corrective actions in the wake of the violations.

Kennedy said that the size of the school’s internal audit staff has been increased. Aid disbursement for athletes — a process that involves the athletic department, financial aid office and student business service office — is inspected more closely, he added.

“We have extra sets of eyes on the transactions for athletes,” Kennedy said.

The third report was submitted in August, and school president Michael Crow recently wrote a letter to the NCAA expressing his satisfaction with how ASU has fulfilled its probation obligations.

An NCAA spokesman indicated that the organization’s policy is not to comment publicly on schools under probation.

ASU’s eight major-infractions cases tie it with Southern Methodist for the most since 1953, when the NCAA’s enforcement system was instituted.

Auburn, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Wisconsin and Wichita State follow on the list of shame, with seven major cases each.

The 2005 probation was ASU’s first major case since the men’s and women’s track programs were penalized in 1997. The others were in 1954 (football), 1959 (football), 1980 (football and men’s track), 1985 (baseball, men’s gymnastics and wrestling), 1986 (men’s basketball) and 1988 (men’s and women’s track).

Kennedy, who has worked for the athletic department since he was a student intern in the 1980s, said that he believes ASU has never had better safeguards in place to prevent or limit malfeasance.

“You never say never,” Kennedy said. “But I can honestly say that we have never had a more competent staff across the board, not only with administrators, but with staff and coaches.”