Buckeye Blogger NetworkUPDATE- We’ve incorporated all of the allegations into a table for those who prefer getting their information that way. Check it out here, or under the Media Table at the top right of the site.
UPDATE 2- Georgia Tech’s case has been added to the article for completeness. (You need to click “read more” before the link will work properly)
UPDATE 3- This article has been reposted with updates.
USC fans telling their favorite organization what to do
This is the article you have all been waiting for. Rather than just looking at all of the allegations leveled at Ohio State like I did a couple weeks ago, I now list every single allegation leveled by the NCAA at several different schools.
This article is a public service for anyone who is interested in the details of the allegations for a number of different schools including: Southern California, North Carolina, Tennessee, Boise State and Ohio State. Each table of allegations is a faithful representation of the allegation posed against the institution along with the response provided by the University for each. I hope that everyone who reads this will find it an informative and useful resource for discussing the NCAA, amateurism and the recent string of investigations that have swept the nation.
This is not a short article, so you may want to take it in slowly and in pieces. Reading it in one sitting may cause any number of complications that we hold no responsibility for including, but not limited to; excessive optimism, finger pointing, extreme laughter and glassy-eye dazes.
I also point out that what is included in each table is entirely factual information based off the documents provided by either the NCAA or the university in question. So too with the “results” of the investigation at the end of the discussion for each school. The discussions themselves are entirely a matter of writer’s opinion and should be taken as such.
For an in depth look at each allegation and the violations therein,
Like the annual haircut (whether needed or not), a new “look” makes a world of difference, no? Since all of the cool kids were getting new school clothes, we thought in only appropriate to join in on the blog couture arms race.
Big thanks to Chad of Digital:Construct, an OSU alum who was great to work with (even upgraded the old Etch-a-Sketch) throughout the process.
Now, news and notes from the intertubes:
Buckeye 411
REPORTER: You’ve lost 41 times playing other Ohio colleges.
COACH TRESSEL: You said that last year but you used 40.
REPORTER: Can you imagine what it would be like –
COACH TRESSEL: You asked the same question. You’ve got to get new material.
REPORTER: I need a better answer maybe.
COACH TRESSEL: What was my answer last time?
REPORTER: I don’t remember.
COACH TRESSEL: Then how do you know it wasn’t good? You weren’t pleased with it, but you don’t know what it was. Man!
Miami news
No Clue At All: I know I’m a little late on this, but it’s been a busy week…
in various online fantasy football and baseball leagues. In all instances, he paid an entry fee and played for a chance to win prizes, which meets the NCAA definition of sports wagering.
Not only did the former head coach participate in wagering, he also purchased an online fantasy football business and oversaw its operations as part owner and managing partner. In 2008, the former volunteer coach, who was already employed by the university at the time, was hired by the former head coach to work in this business. The former volunteer coach acted as “commissioner” of the fantasy leagues, coordinating the competitions and monitoring the selection of players by those who paid entry fees to participate. In the spring of 2008, he traveled to Las Vegas to oversee a live “draft.”
I win, USC and the NCAA lose. (Getty Images)
ESPiN is reporting that USC has hired a new Athletic Director to replace embattled veteran Mike Garrett. Garrett, fairly or unfairly viewed as responsible for USC’s disasters off the Football Gridiron has been let go in place of former Trojan’s Quarterback Pat Haden, who also served with NBC covering Notre Dame Football. Talk about your crappy job posts…
Haden has already come out swinging, declaring that there will be no more cheating at USC. To that end, USC has decided to return their copy of Reggie Bush’s Heisman Trophy, choosing to distance themselves from the running back and the troubles that he caused the program. This decision comes despite the fact that they were not required to return the trophy. After Mike Garrett’s repeated stance that USC never did anything wrong, this gesture clearly demonstrates a 180 degree switch in USC’s athletic department thinking.
Any guesses on how long Lane Kiffin is likely to last now?
Third post in our coverage of Southern Cal’s wonderful snuggle fiesta with the NCAA. Here’s your music:
It’s been an interesting week here in Los Angeles, out on the far edge of the ocean. The Dodgers are doing well, Kobe and Friends are having fun at Bill Simmons’ expense, we’ve got earthquakes weekly, and we’re watching a couple of folks try to purchase the right to be the governor of our state and it’s botched economy.
But, with all the news we’ve been hearing out of the University of Southern California, it’s been difficult to miss folks’ reactions and responses to all things Trojans.
I’m assuming that you’ve got “the Google”, so you can get the analysis from all the websites (be sure to check out SBN’s Conquest Chronicles, the LA Times, and the OC Register). Instead, I want to answer Ken’s question from the comments- “what is fan reaction to USC getting curb-stomped?“
With that in mind, I want to introduce you to the Five College Football Fans You Meet In Los Angeles.
Heaven? Nope- too much fricking smog.
Arrogant- Current USC AD Mike Garrett (emphasis on “current”- he shouldn’t get too comfortable) was quoted as saying the following
“As I read the decision by the NCAA, all I could get out of all of this was … I read between the lines and there was nothing but a lot of envy, and they wish they all were Trojans.”
Yeah, champ. That’s it.
Combined with Pete “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Carroll’s script read through, and you get a sense of the attitude that many Trojan supporters have, even today. A look though the message boards shows a group of deluded folks who still see this as the NCAA on a witch hunt, trying to punish a bunch of outstanding citizens who are only guilty of trying to help young adults out. There’s no way for me to adequately describe this vibe other than to make the following comparison- these folks remind me of either every interview I’ve ever seen with Barry Switzer or the continued hauter exhibited by the members of “Da U”, even now, years after their program has been highlighted as on of the worst things to happen to college football. I’m guessing these folks may not have the self awareness to realize that those aren’t good comparisons.
In Denial- There are a lot of people here in the Southland who are assuming that this didn’t happen, and that it will all go away with the appeal. “Ok, they sent the message… but we’ve got a new coach, and all that stuff should be put behind us”. Or, echoing Pete’s script from earlier “these sanctions are much too harsh for what happened; they’ll be changed.
I’m guessing these people missed this part of official report
The committee seriously considered the imposition of a television ban as a penalty in this case. After lengthy discussion, the committee ultimately decided that the imposition of other significant penalties, as set forth here, adequately responded to the nature of the violations found in this case and the level of institutional responsibility. Therefore, a television ban need not be imposed. The committee notes, however, that the television ban is a penalty designed in part to ameliorate extensive and positive media and public attention gained by a program through commission of violations. The committee also notes that the decision in this case not to impose the penalty was a very close call. All student-athletes, coaches, administrators, boosters and agents must understand that violations of NCAA rules have severe consequences.
In other words, it could have been worse. Fans in denial (or “irrationally optimistic”, if you will) should also be aware that the chances of the appeal being successful are pretty slim, if the LA Times is to be believed. They should also remember that the findings did not include any recent concerns; an appeal and review would be likely to take those things into account.
Not a panda, but still sad
Overwhelmed- To be honest, these are most of the people that I know. I had one friend who, when I tried to call to see that she was OK, simply told me- “I’m just going to go into my office and cry”. It’s almost as if they know that it’s finally caught up with their team; the rumors of impropriety, all the celebrities and hangers on at practice and on the sidelines and in the locker room, the “competitive advantage” that their coach always preached… it’s finally time to pay the bill. To go with another analogy, it’s a lot like the Southern California housing market- no one asked why it was going up and up and up… but now that the bubble has popped, it’s beyond description.
On their behalf, many of these are the true fans; the ones who will still support their team, who didn’t like the latest coaching hire, and who will “fight on” through this.
Attention. You're not paying it
Oblivious- If most of the people I know personally are shell shocked, much of the rest of the “fan base” are not impacted by this at all. This is because much of LA is made up of t-shirt alumni, people who pay attention to sports when everything is going well. They’re transplants from other places, they have more “important” things to do (Disneyland, the beach, sitting in traffic), and will be wearing UCLA gear in a couple of years. Speaking of which…
No idea what this logo is
Gleeful- Those of us who are fans of other teams, particularly UCLA, have been loving every minute of this experience. We get to say “we told you so”, and use words like “comeuppance”. Bruins fans are also able to forget that their current guy was involved in a scandal of some sort at his last two institutions, and focus instead on the joy that comes from the pain of your enemy. And, given how one sided that rivalry has been recently and how obnoxious three of the four types mentioned above can be to live and work with, they’re getting a lot of mileage out of this moment.
To be candid; while not a fan of UCLA, I can certainly resonate with their perspective.
This is a follow up of the USC Sanctions reflections from yesterday.
Onward… and sticking with our theme:
Unfortunately, this has nothing to do with the lessons learned in Heritage Hall- we won’t know what, if any, changes will occur within the administration of Southern Cal’s athletic program for months. To be honest, based on the response of the fans and former coaches, I’m not sure we’re anywhere near the Kubler-Ross stages; there’s been so much denial, it’s difficult to separate “normal” from “grief processing”.
Nope, this is going to be my back to school essay: “Things I Learned by Staring at a Car Wreck“. Here goes:
OK, that’s about enough of that… We’ll keep you updated as things develop; I wouldn’t be too surprised to see a new AD at Southern Cal within the coming months.
But now I’ve got to go back to helping NorCal Buckeye look for a USC jersey with #1 on it so we can get “Student Athlete” across the nameplate.
Tomorrow- How are Los Angelenos responding?
We got so many positive comments about the last soundtrack, let’s do it again:
For the sake of analogies, Benny is NCAA and everyone else is either Southern Cal or their fanbase.
If you haven’t already read the NCAA’s report, you should at least take the time to read through the summary.
If that’s too much for you, here’s the details. Let’s look at these point by point…
A postseason ban in football following the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
What I like to call the “Rodriguez” option- no bowls for two years. This will also be felt by the rest of the Pac-10, since they revenue share bowl spoils. It also has an impact on the Trojans in terms of training (no bowl practice) and recruiting, although that may not matter, since Southern Cal has also received:
A loss of 30 total football scholarships over the 2011, 2012 and 2013 seasons.
This is the big one, because it keeps them from stockpiling the fifteen running backs that they usually do. It also keeps them from having a monster class in 2014 once the ban is over… that sound you hear is Rick Neuheisel rubbing his hands together gleefully.
On the other hand, this could be a coup of sort for Kiffin and Orgeron; when they offer a student, they can legitimately say “we’ve only got a few of these, and we want to offer you one. When you get here, we’ll be back in the hunt.” That is, if Kiffin can keep from being Kiffin.
A vacation of all football victories starting in December 2004 and running through the 2005 season. This includes the national championship win over Oklahoma on Jan. 4, 2005.
Word from Kansas City- the BCS has already stripped the Trojans of their Orange Bowl Victory. In other news, Vince Young did the same for the 2006 Rose Bowl victory that everyone awarded to USC prior to that game.
Also imposed are limitations for the access granted to boosters and non-university personnel to team charters, sidelines, practices, locker rooms and camps for men’s basketball and football.
Sorry Snoop and Will. What can you do? Oh, and I’m guessing this guy won’t be too popular on campus, either.
All statistics vacated for Bush, Mayo and an unnamed women’s tennis athlete in the games which the NCAA deemed them ineligible due to rules violations.
A vacation of wins in the women’s tennis program from May 2006 to May 2009, for long distance telephone violations committed by a student-athlete.
Tennis? They cheated at tennis? Is nothing sacred?!? I didn’t even know that AT&T was a Southern Cal sponsor…
Bush and Mayo must be disassociated from USC athletics.
That will limit Reggie’s ability to “continue to cooperate with the NCAA and USC, as (he) did during the investigation.” and his ability to “focus on making a positive impact for the University”, but it will also keep him from getting those annoying calls from the alumni office fundraisers. So there’s that. Read More
Hang on… this one needs a soundtrack:
According to the good folks over at ESPN, Southern Cal’s football team has received a two year ban from postseason play, in addition to scholarship reductions and forfeiting wins from at least their 2004 season. According to the LA Times, the Trojans will lose 20 scholarships in football, more than likely over numerous years.
There are still a lot of questions to be answered:
Quick update on this last one- I’d forgotten about this:
Kiffin wanted to reassure the family once more. He spoke with Sean and then Seantrel, a 6-foot-8, 330-pound senior at Cretin-Derham Hall (St. Paul, Minn.), telling both that any upcoming penalties from the NCAA’s infractions committee would not make the Trojans ineligible for future bowl games. USC is expected to appear in front of the committee between Feb. 19 and 21 to answer charges of major rules violations.
Yeah.
In addition to being excited to live in Los Angeles while this is all coming down, I’m also looking forward to LSUfreek’s take on this matter.
LSUfreek = Sooper genius
Oh, and bonus BBC points to the best photoshop update of this thing:
As always, we’ll keep you updated as this continues to develop.
