The NCAA sanctioned Ole Miss today. The final report against Ole Miss was released this morning. Bowl bans, show cause orders, scholarship reductions, and forfeits populate the list of sanctions against the storied football program. Players will be able to transfer to other programs. The report states that Ole Miss "fostered an unconstrained booster culture" smack-dab in the middle of the first page:
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Mississippi fostered an unconstrained booster culture—particularly in boosters' relationships with the football program and their involvement in recruiting. This is now the third case over three decades that has involved the boosters and the football program. Even the head coach acknowledged that upon coming to Mississippi, he was surprised by the "craziness" of boosters trying to insert themselves into his program. At the hearing, Mississippi's chancellor acknowledged his institution's problem with boosters, characterizing one instance as "disturbingly questionable." The chancellor pledged to correct his institution's booster issues.The summary cites the improper involvement of boosters in the football program from 2010 to 2015. It states they provided illegal free benefits such as meals, use of vehicles, lodging, merchandise, hunting, and of course, cash payments. It cites four assistant football coaches and two athletic department employees for committing NCAA violations. Two members of the football program "helped arrange fraudulent" ACT scores for three recruits. Then there is the matter of Leo Lewis:
many other violations were centered on two highly recruited student-athletes. Among those violations, a booster provided $10,000 cash for one of those prospects to commit to Mississippi, while another booster gave $800 cash to the other prospect's step-father after the prospect enrolled.The NCAA said the violations were all part of a "culture of rules violations being acceptable" in the football program. It said members of the coaching staff were "often in regular contact" with the boosters who were cited by the NCAA and did not report violations when discovered.
Coach Freeze did promote an "atmosphere of compliance." However, the NCAA said he "failed to monitor his program's activities" regarding the recruiting of high school prospects . Leadership begins at the top and the NCAA said Coach Freeze's failure to monitor trickled down to the rest of his staff:
Members of his staff knowingly committed recruiting violations, submitted false information on recruiting paperwork and failed to report known violations. Among their violations, staff members provided a highly-regarded prospect impermissible inducements and benefits on numerous unofficial visits he made to campus. The head coach did not exercise sufficient oversight into what the staff members were doing. He did not meet his responsibility to ties that resulted in violations. His failure to monitor is a Level I violation.The co-mingling of boosters, Ole Miss employees, recruits, and improper benefits was evidence that there was a lack of institutional control of the football program (p.48). Employees and boosters coordinated with each other on providing illegal benefits to recruits and stonewalling the NCAA investigation.
The minutia of the violations is covered in great detail in the report posted below. The NCAA said that the numerous level I violations, lack of institutional control, and history of major violations were major factors in punishing Ole Miss (p.54).
The NCAA issued the following penalties (p.56):
1. Ole Miss's football program is place on probation from December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2020.
2. Ole Miss must pay a financial penalty of $179,797 (Uncle Dickie can a check for that one and not lose any sleep.)
3. 13 scholarship reductions
4. Any NCAA program that hires Hugh Freeze as a Head Football Coach from December 1, 2017 to November 30, 2018 shall suspend him for two games. This does not apply to his employment as an assistant coach or lower member of a coaching staff.
5. A show cause order is issued against a former operations coordinator. The NCAA said he committed similar violations at USL and also engaged in a cover-up when the NCAA investigated the Ole Miss football program (p.57). The NCAA apparently issued a show cause order for eight years in the prior case. It states that an additional show cause order will run from January 11, 2024 to January 10, 2032. No NCAA member can hire him in an athletic-related position nor allow him to have any contacts with athletes or their families.
6. Assistant coach #3 received a show-cause order for a five year term that will expire on November 30, 2022.
7. Chris Kiffin received a two year show-cause order that expires on November 30, 2019.
8. A five-year show-cause order is imposed on Assistant Athletic Director. Barney Farrar It expires on November 30, 2022.
9. Ole Miss must vacate will wins in which ineligible athletes competed.
A press conference will be held at 1:00 PM.
51 comments:
How many scholarships does a team have?
A slap on the wrist. There is no guarantee that the Rebs would be playing in bowl games the next two years anyway. $179K is chump change for this school, you could find that much in the couch cushions at the SAE house.
Anything short of the DEATH PENALTY is a miscarriage of justice.
Scholarship count: FBS programs are allowed 85 scholarships on its roster at any given time, and generally can sign up to 25 players per year. Scholarship breakdown: All 85 scholarships are full rides. There are no partial scholarships given in FBS football.
I always said Shea Patterson would regret the day he abandoned the Tigers, watch him and his brother come crawling home.
Freeze has a one year probation, not a show cause. He can coach next year as an assistant but if he takes a head coach job, he serves a two game suspension. But not a show cause.
Its not as if the team was going to a bowl next year anyway. They kept Luke because all of the top players wanted him. The only transfers will be the bench warmers.
But the loss of scholarships will be crippling over time. Look for an appeal.
I was hoping for total destruction, but this ain't that. Still, I doubt that hood-wearing bunch can recover from these penalties any time soon, and the exit door is clearly lit for current players who want out. (Please let there be many.)
Additionally, we get the entertainment value (hopefully for at least the next week) of watching the conniption fits from their fans. I plan to troll them by shaking my head slowly and agreeing that they got screwed.
Finally, they hired Matt Luke for a coach and gave him enough money to keep him in self-tanner for the rest of his life.
All in all, not a bad week for those of us who live outside of the rebel-bear-shark bubble (i.e. reality).
10:17
Thank you.
Hey 10:15,
I guess you think paying a recruit's family's light bill and letting him crash on a couch is worse than the systematic cover-up of almost 50 rapes and sexual assaults at Baylor. Or Penn State not receiving the death penalty after the Sandusky sexual molestation cover-up.
The NCAA/COI's selective enforcement is the "miscarriage of justice".
State fans should find no joy that the NCAA makes examples of smaller tier schools. MSU is no elite program and is already in the cross hairs.
Bring back Billy Brewer, he'd get this whole thing straightened out....
When black people take over coaching roles and comprise 97% of MS college athletics....
Watch this favorite ole miss sport shrivel up fast.....
I am 75 years old and have known of the "FAVORS" players receive. This has been going on since the first player walked on the field at Ole Miss many years ago. I don't know of a single college that does not do the same thing in some form or fashion. Nothing can stop this practice except getting caught.
When we pay a college football head coach a million dollars plus a year we are changing the game to a business venue. No coach on this green earth is worth more than $500,000 annually.
just an bunch of Ole Miss snobs... Yawn.
"Death penalty", 10:15? Seriously, do you think you're God or just judge and jury?
10:53, SICK that you're so entertained and hoping for total destruction of a program.
How above this are each of your team(s)? Watch your celebration. This is only the beginning...........
"9. Ole Miss must vacate will wins in which ineligible athletes competed."
So what "wins" exactly does this entail? Huge difference between a "vacation" and a "forfeit" per the NCAA, the latter improves the record of a competing team that lost. By "vacating" the wins of this past season, Ole Miss will wind up 0-0 rather than 0-12. MSU will remain 8-4 rather than 9-3 with resulting bowl implications. Strange how in 1978 a 5-6 Ole Miss wound up 6-5 after MSU had to "forfeit" a win in which MSU's Larry Gillard played in....after being deemed "ineligible" by the NCAA due to supposedly getting a discount on some garments from a one Howard Miskelly.
What is the fate of the Golden Egg Trophy? From page 58 of the documents will it wind up in the NCAA home office for a year? How about that days old Conerly Trophy?!
It is not about the bowl ban, it about the fact any senior in 2018 can transfer out and play immediately. It will bleed them dry of players.
LOL at comporting ideas of justice to the NCAA.
Rheamed? No.
Do the sanctions hurt the program? Yes.
Will this deter future conduct in the program (and by the overzealous boosters)? Probably not.
Am I glad the NCAA has finally ruled? Yes.
What's the difference in what Ole Miss did and what the other SEC schools? Ole Miss got caught doing things that the other schools will appear on the radar that gets programs caught. (Yes, I'm a believer all big schools do some of what Ole Miss got caught doing. Other schools are just smarter and probably have better control of their boosters.)
Now, hopefully we can turn the page and hear about something else in sports other than the Hotty Toddy problems and Hugh Freeze.
Every bit of this was to have the two wins against Alabama stricken from the record books and to have the pictures removed of the goalposts coming down. Had State beaten Alabama this year the NCAA would have been all over them for Leo Lewis and we all know it.
Love the OM faithful that truly believe all their problems arise from their victory over Alabama. Let's be honest and bring the bulls**t monitor out. This investigation began long before the first fluke happened - when it was discovered that they were fixing test scores for their recruits. Then it expanded when star Tunsil spoke through his bong mask about the payments he needed.
All this helped on by the arrogant ass Freeze inviting people to send in their allegations.
But why bother. The entitled, the anointed ones who believe their crap doesn't stink need to have something to blame their failures on so let them continue to live in la-la land. They've survived on their self-declared championships from over a century ago to help keep their blue blood flowing so why try to convince them of reality now?
Love the OM faithful that truly believe all their problems arise from their victory over Alabama. Let's be honest and bring the bulls**t monitor out. This investigation began long before the first fluke happened - when it was discovered that they were fixing test scores for their recruits. Then it expanded when star Tunsil spoke through his bong mask about the payments he needed.
All this helped on by the arrogant ass Freeze inviting people to send in their allegations.
But why bother. The entitled, the anointed ones who believe their crap doesn't stink need to have something to blame their failures on so let them continue to live in la-la land. They've survived on their self-declared championships from over a century ago to help keep their blue blood flowing so why try to convince them of reality now?
the loss of scholarships started in 2015 so most have already been forfeited; the only players who can absolutely transfer are players in their last year of eligibility is 2018. the loss of post season revenue for two years is the biggest hit. the appeal of the second year of bowl ban goes nowhere.
The sanctions were extraordinarily light for 15 -- FIFTEEN!!! -- Level 1 violations. UMiss fans should be rejoicing in their whiskey at the penalties they got. The NCAA has doubled-down on its path to irrelevancy with these "penalties." Let the money flow!
"The NCAA spent nearly four years digging in the dumpster of Ole Miss’ athletic culture, a trash heap soaked in misplaced blame, delusional defiance and outright lies, and came out the other side Friday with a clear message.
It’s not us, Ole Miss, it’s you. And it’s way past time to clean up your act."
USA Today. Ouch.
@10:53 What a sad life you must lead. I feel for you. Highly doubtful that you've got a family that I need to feel sorry for also.
Did you compare the penalties to what Ole Miss had already offered? They are essentially the same (with the second bowl ban that is being appealed). The report certainly reads damningly and yet the NCAA gave 1/3 of the penalties that would have been called for given their penalty matrix. I wonder why that is?
I don't like the loss of a bowl next season (and it may not stand) for the players, but I am thrilled with today's events. It's not nearly what Steve Robertson and the Gang of 3 had predicted or relished.
Not a good look for Ole Miss
As if this team is loaded with a bunch of NFL prospects in the senior class to-be. Millsaps and Alcorn may pick up a few.
From a University of Michigan booster:
"Ultimately, Ole Miss during the Hugh Freeze era got a New Years Six bowl win and back-to-back victories over Alabama. Since Freeze took over they are 4-2 against their in-state rival.
Their punishment is missing a couple of Pizza Bowl caliber postseason crap fests and having to take only 22 players in their next class instead of 28. If I'm an Ole Miss fan, I'll delightedly take that trade. No way in hell is this punishment a significant enough deterrent to keep anyone from dabbling in the payola market. Which is why the market exists.
At this point, any program that makes the cold rational return-on-investment decision that it is better off to just cheat and pay the very small consequences if they get caught . . . is not wrong."
If you are Ole Miss, you are going to miss some bowl games anyway if you are not cheating. You might as well miss a couple of bowl games at the hands of the NCAA and have back-to-back victories over Alabama to show for it."
They lose 13 scholarships. It’s a slap on the wrist and a clear signal to all watching that you can get away with anything now.
Let’s be honest, they didn’t get Ole Miss for any real “pay to play” on their elite out of state prospects. Surely they did it, but they didn’t get caught on the big name kids from out of state. It could have been much worse for them. They got dinged for a bunch of penny-ante junk. Bama gives $200K for a lineman. Auburn gives $180K for Cameron Newton. Ole Miss gave $10K to a guy who went to another school This is what would happen if the NCAA looked under the hood of any program for 6 years.
3:09-- do you get all your news from USA Today? Bet you pick them up at the Motel 6 while on travel. Go spend the weekend catching up on with Dancing with the Stars. Relax!!!
3:09-- do you get all your news from USA Today? Bet you pick them up at the Motel 6 while on travel. Go spend the weekend catching up on with Dancing with the Stars. Relax!!!
I just came to laugh at the description of Ole Miss football as “storied.” Gah, the delusion is so thick.
The top three U.S. newspapers by total average circulation – from print products, digital subscriptions and other papers that use their branded content – are USA Today (4,139,380), The Wall Street Journal (2,276,207) and The New York Times (2,134,150).
Sure, Bubba. You're "high class." Keep braying.
Is there any mention in these sanctions that may prevent actions like the 'Zebra' tent with the champaign fountain?
You all seriously need to get a life --- if you base your self-worth on the record of a half-ass university, I feel sorry for you. You guys are like fat housewife who forces her daughter to compete in pageants and talent competitions --- quit trying to live your dreams vicariously through a bunch of scumbags.
MSU better be worried. New investigators have been sent to Starkville since Leo's testimony saying the money came from MSU. The CO Lin coach will no longer be the bag man.
You bullies are a sad bunch. You live your lives hoping for the downfall of big brother. Some bullies actually came to the Grove to celebrate. Small time little people. We really are better than you.
Let them eat cake!!
Dilly Dilly...
10:20 represents every OM fan I know. Blame it all on somebody else.
With lack of institutional control, how does BEE-ORK remain employed? Indeed, how does Vitter remain employed. They're both still waist deep in defiance.
And who are these so-called 'ineligible players' mentioned in the sanctions (regarding games that must be forfeited)?
(A record 22 street signs and cars and store fronts)
Why would you send your child to a school that cheats??
The NCAA gave the entire sporting world the finger when its sanction against Freeze amounted to no more than two games suspended. What a hoot.
all you SEC pretty boys lathered up about the booger man of college football sanctions. maybe you should be more concerned with paying the mortgage and raising you kids.
Because unlike Alabama mongoloids, a lot of us realize that there's more to a school than its football program.
Enjoy this, state fans. Because your define your school on your rival. Go back to wearing your Bass Pro PFG maroon shirts, hillbillies.
Why are some coaches who received sanctions/show cause referred to, for example as "No.3" while others are referred to by name (Kiffin, Farrar)?
It's literally amazing to see the number of OM fans who are still so angry that they sling around crap like Dec 2 @ 7:42. Accept responsibility if you played a role in this. If you didn't, then admit guilt where it lies and stop the petty blaming of and cursing at others. It's childish. "Momma, he hit me too. And you know he's uglier than I am!"
Glad Ole Miss did not get hit with worse penalties. Matt Luke will a chance to rebuild team. Lots of people including media analyst are commented without reading fact findings.
7:42am Jees, there are a lot more hillbilly fans of Ole Miss than anyone else. They never even went there, and it's all they got. The reason those "hillbillies" are more often fans of OM is because of their connection to their racist roots. THAT's what they love.
I did not attend MSU or OM but i read this site daily for news and no matter what the topic is it always turns to bashing OM in some way or another. I'm glad OM won the egg bowl this year. MSU got what it deserved. #Karma
Understand. Ole Miss's NCAA problems is a major story, a national story. It's going to get covered and judging by the traffic numbers, you readers want to see it covered. Now if this site had been around 20 years or so ago when Jackie Sherill was coach, rest assured that this site would have had some fun at MSU's expense.
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