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NCAA Investigates Arizona Coach Lute Olson
Improper fundraising letter, with Olson's signature, sent to boosters in July

by Charlie Zegers
for About.com

Lute Olson

Lute Olson returns to the bench for the Arizona Wildcats this season, where he'll face one of the most challenging seasons of his long and storied career.

Getty Images / Jonathan Daniel
The University of Arizona and coach Lute Olson will be hearing from NCAA investigators due to a "personal and confidential" fundraising letter sent to Wildcat boosters early this summer.

The letter -- printed with Olson's electronic signature -- asked boosters to support the Cactus Classic, an AAU tournament that brings some of the top high school players in the country to Tucson every spring. The letter read, in part:

This tournament brings some of the to players in the country to Tucson and is very critical for our recruiting. … To ensure the future of this tournament, Jim (Storey) needs support from private donations.
Storey is the tournament organizer.

NCAA regulations strictly forbid the solicitation by a member institution of any financial support for prospective student athletes.

Olson has denied any knowledge of the letter or involvement in its distribution, and sent a retraction to the boosters disavowing it.

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