The NCAA has placed North Carolina's football program on three years' probation and banned it from the 2012 postseason, the governing body announced Monday.
The school already had imposed several penalties, including vacating all 16 wins for 2008 and 2009, reducing nine scholarships over the next three academic years and putting the program on two years of probation.
But the NCAA didn't stop at UNC's self-imposed penalties, finding that the school was responsible for violations including academic fraud, impermissible agent benefits, participation by ineligible players and a failure to monitor the football program.
"My only regret is for the current players, especially the seniors, who will not have the opportunity to compete for an ACC championship and go through the experience of a bowl game in 2012," new Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said in a prepared statement. "We will do all we can to make every game this year a special experience for our seniors and fans."
According to the NCAA, multiple student-athletes received impermissible benefits totaling more than $31,000, six players competed while ineligible and an assistant coach, who was not named in the report, was compensated by a sports agent for the access he provided to student-athletes and failed to disclose the income to the university.
The NCAA said it issued a three-year show-cause penalty and recruiting restrictions against the former assistant coach, who was also cited for unethical conduct and failing to cooperate with investigators.
In 2010, Yahoo! Sports reported that former North Carolina assistant John Blake had previously been employed by pro football agent Gary Wichard's firm and had been wired money from Wichard's bank. Attorneys for Blake said he received loans from Wichard, a longtime friend, but said there was never an arrangement to direct players to Wichard once they turned pro.
Wichard died a year ago after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Blake resigned at North Carolina in September of 2010.
"This case should serve as a cautionary tale to all institutions to vigilantly monitor the activities of those student-athletes who possess the potential to be top professional prospects," the NCAA Committee on Infractions said in its report. "It should also serve to warn student-athletes that if they choose to accept benefits from agents or their associates, they risk losing their eligibility for collegiate competition."
School officials appeared before the committee in October.
The school fired Butch Davis before last season because of the investigation. Longtime athletic director Dick Baddour stepped aside so his successor could hire the next football coach.
"We self-imposed a number of penalties in the fall that we thought were appropriate based on the facts in our case. The NCAA has given us additional penalties, and the sanctions are more severe than we expected. The ruling is disappointing for our new coaching staff and our student-athletes," university chancellor Holden Thorp said in a prepared statement.
"We considered an appeal. But given the timing and the record that other schools have had with appeals, as well as the fact that penalties are suspended during an appeal, we've decided it's best to accept our sanctions and move forward."
New athletic director Bubba Cunningham said that although the last year and a half have been difficult for North Carolina, it's time for the school to move forward and restore its reputation.
"We can't guarantee people won't make mistakes in the future, but we can give our collective best effort to prevent a repeat of what brought us to this day," he said. "College athletics evolves daily and the high profile nature of intercollegiate athletics demands that we remain vigilant and accountable for the coaches, student-athletes and staff who represent our great university."
In its report, the Committee on Infractions found:
• A former tutor "constructed significant parts of writing assignments" for three players, provided more than $4,000 in impermissible benefits to players after she graduated and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
• Seven players accepted more than $27,500 in benefits, including cash, flights, meals, lodging, athletic training, admission to clubs and jewelry. One player received more than $13,500 in cash and gifts.
• The program allowed a former player, who was determined by the NCAA to be an agent runner, to have regular access to current student-athletes at its athletic facilities without any oversight.
HOLLYWOOD, Fla. -- The reality of a college football playoff got another step closer Thursday when the BCS announced it was recommending a four-team playoff beginning in 2014.
CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that a four-team playoff was the most likely model.
"We will continue to meet and review the exact structure for what a new postseason could look like," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. "We are making substantial progress. We will present to our conferences a very small number of four-team options, each of which could be carried out in a number of ways."
The proposed playoff models, not specified by the BCS, likely will include:
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals and final rotated among the existing BCS bowl games (Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and Rose).
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals rotated among the existing BCS bowl games with the final held at a neutral site. The site of the final would be determined by a bid process, similar to how the Super Bowl is awarded.
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals and final held at either the existing BCS bowl game sites or neutral sites, determined by a bid process.
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals held on campus and the final held at either an existing BCS bowl game site or neutral site.
The BCS also announced there will no longer be automatic qualifier and non-AQ conferences, but the power leagues (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) likely will still earn more revenue than other leagues. A big unknown is whether the Big East will still be compensated as an AQ conference.
The options, which the conferences will present to their individual schools, must ultimately be approved by the NCAA Presidential Oversight Committee. Bill Hancock said he hopes to have that to the committee by July 4.
There are still several factors that must be determined, including whether the four teams will be the top four ranked teams or whether they must be conference champions.
SEC commissioner Mike Slive favors the top four ranked teams being in the playoff, while Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott favors the model involving conference champions only.
Also what kind of ranking system will be used must be determined. Do they stick with the current BCS standings formula (coaches and Harris polls and computer rankings) or come up with something else, such as a selection committee?
"How to select the teams is still pending," Hancock said.
Also, the proposals did not indicate how the revenue of the new media rights deal, which has been projected to be worth at least $350 million would be divided up.
"Having carefully reviewed calendars and schedules, we believe that either an 8-team or a 16-team playoff would diminish the regular season and harm the bowls," Hancock said. "Accordingly, as we proceed to review our options for improving the post-season, we have taken off the table both an 8-team and a 16-team playoff."
Hancock also said they were not presenting to the conferences a plus-one model, leaving only the four-team playoff models.
The new playoff format would start after the 2014 regular season and would replace the current BCS model that pairs the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams in a bowl game.
CHICAGO -- The BCS commissioners and Notre Dame's athletic director on Wednesday endorsed a seeded four-team playoff model for college football beginning in the 2014 season.
The commissioners' consensus still must be approved by the BCS presidential oversight committee, which meets June 26 in Washington D.C. If approved, the four-team playoff would replace the BCS system, which has been in place since 1998.
"We're very unified," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. "There are issues that have yet to be finalized. There's always devil in the detail, from the model to the selection process, but clearly we've made a lot of progress."
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the discussion centers on a four-team playoff inside the existing bowl structure with the championship game bid out nationally.
Sources tell ESPN that under the recommended model, the four teams will be selected by a committee that will consider certain criteria such as conference championships and strength of schedule.
The playoff will include two national semifinal games played within the existing BCS bowl games and a national championship game hosted by the highest bidding city.
The BCS commissioners have met five times since the national title game in New Orleans, including a four-hour session Wednesday. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who likened the process to a marathon, said, "My hope is we've done 26 (miles). My hope is we have .2 to go."
Despite the commissioners' consensus, the presidential oversight committee still is expected to discuss multiple models next week, including a plus-one format proposed by presidents from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
"The fact that there will be a full and complete discussion is totally appropriate," Slive said. "Obviously, we have put forth a consensus four-team playoff model, and we wouldn't do that if we didn't feel it was appropriate."
are all the other teams still gonna do bowls and the top 4 gonna do a playoff? if so still 0 fux about college football... 8 teams would be way better at least thats a playoff
bowls wouldnt be soooo bad if they just stuck to like a couple like they used to.... theres no need for an 6 - 5 BCS team to be in a bowl thats hella gay
if it was like the championship and three other bowls then it wouldnt be so bad
Comments
The school already had imposed several penalties, including vacating all 16 wins for 2008 and 2009, reducing nine scholarships over the next three academic years and putting the program on two years of probation.
But the NCAA didn't stop at UNC's self-imposed penalties, finding that the school was responsible for violations including academic fraud, impermissible agent benefits, participation by ineligible players and a failure to monitor the football program.
"My only regret is for the current players, especially the seniors, who will not have the opportunity to compete for an ACC championship and go through the experience of a bowl game in 2012," new Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora said in a prepared statement. "We will do all we can to make every game this year a special experience for our seniors and fans."
According to the NCAA, multiple student-athletes received impermissible benefits totaling more than $31,000, six players competed while ineligible and an assistant coach, who was not named in the report, was compensated by a sports agent for the access he provided to student-athletes and failed to disclose the income to the university.
The NCAA said it issued a three-year show-cause penalty and recruiting restrictions against the former assistant coach, who was also cited for unethical conduct and failing to cooperate with investigators.
In 2010, Yahoo! Sports reported that former North Carolina assistant John Blake had previously been employed by pro football agent Gary Wichard's firm and had been wired money from Wichard's bank. Attorneys for Blake said he received loans from Wichard, a longtime friend, but said there was never an arrangement to direct players to Wichard once they turned pro.
Wichard died a year ago after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer. Blake resigned at North Carolina in September of 2010.
"This case should serve as a cautionary tale to all institutions to vigilantly monitor the activities of those student-athletes who possess the potential to be top professional prospects," the NCAA Committee on Infractions said in its report. "It should also serve to warn student-athletes that if they choose to accept benefits from agents or their associates, they risk losing their eligibility for collegiate competition."
School officials appeared before the committee in October.
The school fired Butch Davis before last season because of the investigation. Longtime athletic director Dick Baddour stepped aside so his successor could hire the next football coach.
"We self-imposed a number of penalties in the fall that we thought were appropriate based on the facts in our case. The NCAA has given us additional penalties, and the sanctions are more severe than we expected. The ruling is disappointing for our new coaching staff and our student-athletes," university chancellor Holden Thorp said in a prepared statement.
"We considered an appeal. But given the timing and the record that other schools have had with appeals, as well as the fact that penalties are suspended during an appeal, we've decided it's best to accept our sanctions and move forward."
New athletic director Bubba Cunningham said that although the last year and a half have been difficult for North Carolina, it's time for the school to move forward and restore its reputation.
"We can't guarantee people won't make mistakes in the future, but we can give our collective best effort to prevent a repeat of what brought us to this day," he said. "College athletics evolves daily and the high profile nature of intercollegiate athletics demands that we remain vigilant and accountable for the coaches, student-athletes and staff who represent our great university."
In its report, the Committee on Infractions found:
• A former tutor "constructed significant parts of writing assignments" for three players, provided more than $4,000 in impermissible benefits to players after she graduated and refused to cooperate with the investigation.
• Seven players accepted more than $27,500 in benefits, including cash, flights, meals, lodging, athletic training, admission to clubs and jewelry. One player received more than $13,500 in cash and gifts.
• The program allowed a former player, who was determined by the NCAA to be an agent runner, to have regular access to current student-athletes at its athletic facilities without any oversight.
CBSSports.com reported Tuesday that a four-team playoff was the most likely model.
"We will continue to meet and review the exact structure for what a new postseason could look like," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. "We are making substantial progress. We will present to our conferences a very small number of four-team options, each of which could be carried out in a number of ways."
The proposed playoff models, not specified by the BCS, likely will include:
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals and final rotated among the existing BCS bowl games (Sugar, Fiesta, Orange and Rose).
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals rotated among the existing BCS bowl games with the final held at a neutral site. The site of the final would be determined by a bid process, similar to how the Super Bowl is awarded.
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals and final held at either the existing BCS bowl game sites or neutral sites, determined by a bid process.
• A four-team playoff with the semifinals held on campus and the final held at either an existing BCS bowl game site or neutral site.
The BCS also announced there will no longer be automatic qualifier and non-AQ conferences, but the power leagues (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Pac-12 and SEC) likely will still earn more revenue than other leagues. A big unknown is whether the Big East will still be compensated as an AQ conference.
The options, which the conferences will present to their individual schools, must ultimately be approved by the NCAA Presidential Oversight Committee. Bill Hancock said he hopes to have that to the committee by July 4.
There are still several factors that must be determined, including whether the four teams will be the top four ranked teams or whether they must be conference champions.
SEC commissioner Mike Slive favors the top four ranked teams being in the playoff, while Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott favors the model involving conference champions only.
Also what kind of ranking system will be used must be determined. Do they stick with the current BCS standings formula (coaches and Harris polls and computer rankings) or come up with something else, such as a selection committee?
"How to select the teams is still pending," Hancock said.
Also, the proposals did not indicate how the revenue of the new media rights deal, which has been projected to be worth at least $350 million would be divided up.
"Having carefully reviewed calendars and schedules, we believe that either an 8-team or a 16-team playoff would diminish the regular season and harm the bowls," Hancock said. "Accordingly, as we proceed to review our options for improving the post-season, we have taken off the table both an 8-team and a 16-team playoff."
Hancock also said they were not presenting to the conferences a plus-one model, leaving only the four-team playoff models.
The new playoff format would start after the 2014 regular season and would replace the current BCS model that pairs the No. 1 and 2 ranked teams in a bowl game.
August 30th isn't that far away
The commissioners' consensus still must be approved by the BCS presidential oversight committee, which meets June 26 in Washington D.C. If approved, the four-team playoff would replace the BCS system, which has been in place since 1998.
"We're very unified," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said. "There are issues that have yet to be finalized. There's always devil in the detail, from the model to the selection process, but clearly we've made a lot of progress."
Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott said the discussion centers on a four-team playoff inside the existing bowl structure with the championship game bid out nationally.
Sources tell ESPN that under the recommended model, the four teams will be selected by a committee that will consider certain criteria such as conference championships and strength of schedule.
The playoff will include two national semifinal games played within the existing BCS bowl games and a national championship game hosted by the highest bidding city.
The BCS commissioners have met five times since the national title game in New Orleans, including a four-hour session Wednesday. SEC commissioner Mike Slive, who likened the process to a marathon, said, "My hope is we've done 26 (miles). My hope is we have .2 to go."
Despite the commissioners' consensus, the presidential oversight committee still is expected to discuss multiple models next week, including a plus-one format proposed by presidents from the Big Ten and Pac-12.
"The fact that there will be a full and complete discussion is totally appropriate," Slive said. "Obviously, we have put forth a consensus four-team playoff model, and we wouldn't do that if we didn't feel it was appropriate."
bowls wouldnt be soooo bad if they just stuck to like a couple like they used to.... theres no need for an 6 - 5 BCS team to be in a bowl thats hella gay
if it was like the championship and three other bowls then it wouldnt be so bad