NCAA panel reprimands Garcia head butt

Tuesday, April 25th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- An NCAA panel Tuesday reprimanded star Indiana defender Nick Garcia for head-butting a Santa Clara player in the national championship game won 1-0 by Hoosiers.

The Division I men's soccer committee ordered Indiana to forfeit Garcia's transportation and per-diem reimbursement for the game.

NCAA spokeswoman Laronica Conway said Indiana can appeal the decision. She said she did not know the name of the Santa Clara player nor the amount Indiana must return to the NCAA.

Garcia, honored as the Final Four's outstanding defender, passed up his final year of eligibility and was the second overall pick in February's Major League Soccer draft by the Kansas City Wizards.

Jay Jameson, an IU soccer spokesman, said there was no question Garcia delivered the head butt. However, Garcia was not ejected from the game, played Dec. 12 in Charlotte, N.C., presumably because officials didn't see the foul.

Jameson said he did not know whether Indiana would appeal the reprimand or financial penalty.