BANGOR – One NCAA staff member who attended the University of Maine’s hearing with the NCAA Committee on Infractions Monday in Kansas City, Mo., told UMaine athletic director Sue Tyler the university’s case summary was among the longest she had ever heard.

That helps explain the feeling of relief experienced by UMaine officials, including president Fred Hutchinson and Tyler, upon wrapping up the grueling, day-long session. The members of the UMaine contingent returned to Bangor Tuesday afternoon on two different airline flights.

Hutchinson and Tyler held an inpromptu press conference in the terminal at Bangor International Aiport to talk about the hearing.

“I bring back a good mood in the sense that we did everything we intended to do and did it well,” said an upbeat Hutchinson.

“We’ve now gone there and done our very best, and I believe that, and now we’ll see what the outcome is,” he added. “But there is a sense of satisfaction in being at that point.”

Still, committee members warned UMaine officials that a ruling on the case may take a considerable time. The general time frame, according to the NCAA, is four to eight weeks.

“They said that [the ruling] might not be in for a while because we were the last case and the cases before us were going to take some time, so they said it would take maybe a little longer than normal,” Tyler explained.

Part of the reason the hearing took so long was that many of the NCAA rules violations committee at UMaine were “secondary” in nature, but fit into the case, which includes accusations of violations the NCAA considers “major.”

Hutchinson and Tyler declined to discuss specifics of what was said during the hearing, but made it clear the NCAA Committee on Infractions afforded UMaine representative every courtesy.

UMaine head hockey coach Shawn Walsh, whose program was at the center of some of the most serious allegations, declined comment. Instead, Tyler attempted to convey Walsh’s reaction to the hearing.

“I think he was pretty pleased,” Tyler said. “… I think he had the feeling that he had done all he can, and he did a great job, as did everyone.”

Walsh, who is serving a university-imposed, one-year suspension from his coaching duties for his involvement in NCAA violations and his lack of control over the hockey program, was the subject of the most serious allegation levied by the NCAA enforcement staff. It charges Walsh violated the NCAA’s ethical conduct bylaws by intentionally attempting to mislead investigators who were looking into the case.

The university agreed Walsh violated some rules and had impermissible contact with others, but contended Walsh never tried to mislead anyone either through his actions or his explanations. It also asserted there is no evidence to suggest he attempted to dissuade anyone from cooperating with investigators.

Tyler said Walsh made opening and closing statements at the hearing explaining his involvement in the case and, because of his role, wound up speaking more than any other UMaine representative at the hearing.

Hutchinson is confident the university has handled the situation the right way, hiring the Kansas law firm of Bond, Schoeneck and King, which helped UMaine prepare its case and revamp its compliance system.