NCAA Hits Illinois Football With Probation

The University of Illinois football program was put back on probation by the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. Thursday for a recruiting violation. The latest penalty will run until July 1, 1989.

Illinois, which last week hired John Mackovic as football coach to replace Mike White, was put on two-year probation in 1984.

The NCAA said that while serving the previous probation, the school violated regulations in its attempt to recruit a “highly sought-after” student athlete. The announcement by the NCAA Infractions Committee said its investigation had uncovered other minor violations.