Busy Week for NCAA Infractions Committee

[tornado]

half the department have been scrambling to clean up the Miami mess...
and they're trying to nail UCF...

http://www.athleticscholarships.net/2013/02/27/ucf-lawsuit-invokes-ncaa-infraction.htm

..but they are still finding time to hammer some basketball programs....
ESPN's Andy Katz says that NCAA will issue tomorrow - a report on infractions at St. Mary's that could affect this season...
Whoa -- so maybe Creighton will still get the win for BracketBusters!!

https://twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz/status/307194199353200640

[tornado]

NCAA decision on Saint Mary's basketball investigation to be released Friday

http://www.mercurynews.com/college-sports/ci_22689427/ncaa-report-saint-marys-basketball-investigation-be-released

[tornado]

Wow - St. Mary's gets hit VERY hard -- amazing how hard the NCAA hammers them for the same kind of recruiting issues that many big schools have but get nothing!

NO money changed hands - the only claims of violations were that Australian recruits were given assistance in getting transportation and lodging!! ..and that the players got workouts with the LA Laker trainers!

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2013/march/saint+marys+california+failed+to+monitor+its+mens+basketball+program

Head coach gets suspended
they lose scholarships 2 each year 'til 2016-2017!!!
FOUR years of probation
No foreign tours
no tournaments
no outside instruction or coaching
recruiting restrictions - no off campus recruiting until 2014-2015
AND a TWO-YEAR SHOW CAUSE ban for one of their coaches!!!!!!

I think this is an example of an upstart small school got too good, too fast..kinda like BU back in 05-06...and in 1985-86

[bradleyfan124]

When are the so called mid majors ( i hate that label) going to get together and stand up to the NCAA and say enough is enough. You either hand out punishment consistently to the bigger schools as well as the smaller or we will sue the holy P**** out of you. I am surprised the University presidents dont step in and go nose to nose with the NCAA and say" hell no we wont go"

[Da Coach]

Unfortunately, that might be the worst thing that they could do. The BCS boys would love it if all the smaller guys left and started their own association, then they wouldn't have to share the hundreds of millions of dollars a year the NCAA brings in.

[bradleyfan124]

I hear what your saying. I think that is what frustates me is they carry so much power and blatantly abuse it and nothing seems to be able to be done about it. I guess maybe what i am hoping for is for the college presidents to get more involved in the process and try to chnage it for the better. That is what the new NCAA president seems to be wanting to do. Make it a more level playing field for all schools

[Bravesfan]

Unfortunately, that might be the worst thing that they could do. The BCS boys would love it if all the smaller guys left and started their own association, then they wouldn't have to share the hundreds of millions of dollars a year the NCAA brings in.

You're right. I was thinking the same thing earlier that they should just all split into a DI-AA type of association. But as you said, the BCS will be laughing all the way to the bank as they will have won the battle.

Better to just try a "class action" lawsuit. Whatever route the mid-majors decide to go on this, this decision was maybe the most absolutely OUTRAGEOUS decision I have ever seen! I hope St. Mary's can play at the level of basketball they have the last few years in spite of what happened.

Just to illustrate another goofy NCAA decision, one of today's "CBS Sports Minute" segments on the Score made mention of a red-shirt sophomore Minnesota wrestler who got suspended for recording an inspirational hip-hop record under the same name he wears on his uniform, which is a no-no by the NCAA. Why? Because the NCAA does not allow their student-athletes to promote or sell their products (in this case, his song on Itunes) using their real name! Like the commentator stated, the NCAA ignores the bigger infractions, but the "NCAA Goon Squad" (his words) had plenty of time to go after this guy! Even when this athlete offered to change his name to his legal name on his birth certificate (he was adopted) and use his current name to sell the records, the NCAA said no. Why, I have no clue since the NCAA also said that he could continue to sell his records using an alias name. Of course he rightfully said no to that idea either. Why should he have to record under an alias?

Anyway, this situation totally illustrates how messed up the NCAA is, and it sounds like St. Mary's encountered the NCAA Goon Squad themselves!

[SFP]

Bradleyfan124 - I believe there is a way around this but it would take a group of non-egotistical administrations getting together, taking a risk and forming a concerted all out PR battle which would put their institutions the the NCAA cross hair. The mid-majors need to be the leaders in defining The NCAA tournaments brand. Is it the big boys cheating their way to prominence and not getting punished or is it what America loves the underdog playing it right and giving its fan hope for the every man. I hate to say right now is the time to create the dialog and the plan due to the political climate and the ability to connect the mid-major's plight to the vast majority of Americans.

[bradleyfan124]

SFP You are exactly right. That is what I am saying. They need to say enough is enough

[Bravesfan]

Bradleyfan124 - I believe there is a way around this but it would take a group of non-egotistical administrations getting together, taking a risk and forming a concerted all out PR battle which would put their institutions the the NCAA cross hair. The mid-majors need to be the leaders in defining The NCAA tournaments brand. Is it the big boys cheating their way to prominence and not getting punished or is it what America loves the underdog playing it right and giving its fan hope for the every man. I hate to say right now is the time to create the dialog and the plan due to the political climate and the ability to connect the mid-major's plight to the vast majority of Americans.

I don't mind if St. Mary's gets four years sanctions IF the violations they committed warranted it. And I also don't mind the sanctions IF they are the same ones that top level BCS schools get for the same violations. But we all know that they got punished for what seems to be very minor and just about insignificant broken rules. And of course we all know that BCS schools have gotten far less punishment for much worse, Indiana notwithstanding, which was the major exception.

I would definitely be in HUGE favor for the mid-majors to do something like this, because this is getting out of hand! It's time to even the playing field and for the NCAA to recognize that there actually is some very high quality basketball being played outside the Power 6 conferences, and much of it is done within the rules. Not saying some smaller schools don't cheat. There are some that do. But please NCAA, give out the sanctions evenly and fairly across the board! If not, you WILL have a mutiny on your hands in very short order!

[tornado]

St. Mary's does get penalized by NCAA but only the scholarship losses will hurt.... it isn't all that tough...considering they willfully, knowingly, and
intentionally committed multiple serious recruiting violations, impermissible benefits, illegal contact, and other violations.

..first - probation, then their coach misses five games, they lose a couple scholarships 2014-16 and can't go off campus to recruit during the academic year (most of the serious off campus recruiting is done in summer and next fall when he will be eligible again), and they can still play in the post-season! I think they got off easy..but not as easy as if it had been Kentucky or UCLA...

http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2013/october/st.+marys+%28california%29+and+head+mens+basketball+coachs+findings+and+penalties+upheld

http://ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/public/ncaa/resources/latest+news/2013/march/saint+marys+california+failed+to+monitor+its+mens+basketball+program

[tornado]

NCAA found someone else to hammer - - they drop the gavel hard on SE Louisiana

http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball/story/2013-12-10/se-louisiana-penalized-by-ncaa-over-eligibility