NEWARK, N.J. — The NCAA has placed Rutgers on two-year probation and publically reprimanded and censured the university for failing to monitor its football program over a five-year period from 2011 to 2015.

The Division I Committee on Infractions panel ruled Friday that Rutgers did not ensure its football student host group and its drug-testing program followed university policy and NCAA rules.

The panel also said that former football coach Kyle Flood failed to monitor his operations staff and violated university policy by contacting an instructor to make a special academic arrangement for a student-athlete.

The ruling was lenient in that the NCAA agreed with most of the self-imposed sanctions that Rutgers sought as punishment for the violations.

Rutgers helped itself by cooperating with investigation, firing Flood and athletic director Julie Hermann after the 2015 season, implementing a new drug testing program and hiring a new chief medical officer. The major difference was the NCAA ordered two years of probation instead of the one year sought. Rutgers admitted in April in responding to an 18 month NCAA investigation that violations had occurred in its football program.

The penalties included a $5,000 fine, a reduction in the number of off-campus recruiting days, and a limit of 36 official visits for high school seniors and transfer students in football during the 2017-18 academic year.

STEVEN WILLIAMS is a 17-year-old freshman at Old Dominion. On Saturday, he will start at quarterback against No. 13 Virginia Tech, making him the second-youngest player to start at the position in major college football history.

Only David Walker, who was 17 years 9 months when he first started for Texas A&M in 1973, was younger.

Williams ascended to starter on the heels of his performance off the bench in last weekend’s 53-23 loss to North Carolina.