Former University of Colorado athletic director Dick Tharp was reticent Friday to lay blame or put responsibility on anyone for the major NCAA infractions the department was sanctioned for Thursday and that occurred mostly during his tenure.

The NCAA put CU on probation for two years, levied a $100,000 fine and stripped the Buffs of three football scholarships over the next three years because the athletic department had been undercharging non-scholarship players for training-table meals from 2000 to 2005. Tharp was CU's athletic director until Nov. 30, 2004.

Without knowing too many specifics of the case or the NCAA's findings, Tharp said, "I'm sure that we had a list of everybody who ate there every night and who they were and what they paid and why they paid what they did.

"There's an ongoing process of rules interpretation."

Unfortunately, in this instance, he said it appeared that the rule was simply misinterpreted, which is largely what the NCAA concluded. Once it was, he said, few would have had reason to question how the system for the meals was being run.

Tharp said that, despite perceptions that many outside of Boulder or the state of Colorado might have, the CU athletic department has always been "very transparent" and forthcoming when it comes to policing itself with regard to NCAA rules, and he applauded the current administration's handling of the situation.

In 2002, the department self-reported several football recruiting violations that occurred during Rick Neuheisel's reign as head coach.

"I think probably just like (current athletic director Mike Bohn) said, anyone who's sat in that chair and had violations occur is sensitive about them," Tharp said. "All you can do is have rules education and be diligent, and if you have any issues be up front about handling them."