The Boise State athletic program was handed down the severe ‘lack of institutional control' for repeat violations to the women's tennis team as well as a handful of minor violations by the football and men's and women's track and field teams. Peter Bean over at Burnt Orange Nation puts this into perspective and I totally agree with his take:
Now, Boise State: The tennis coach does something blatantly, flagrantly NCAA-illegal, the football team provides basic necessities for recruits, and the NCAA sends its Notice of Allegations, which includes a lack of institutional control.
Am I oversimplifying? Yes, and no. Yes, in the sense that what the Boise State tennis coach did (playing a non-collegiate athlete) was about as bad as it gets. But no, because in both instances what the NCAA is really attacking with their response is one egregiously stupid, willful violation. I suppose the Boise State tennis coach was technically worse than Jim Tressel, in the sense that Tressel didn't strap a helmet on Vince Young and pretend he was Terrelle Pryor, but beyond that, it seems to me a distinction without a difference.
These were blatant, willful, knowing violations. The only real difference is that with Boise State, the NCAA took the egregious violation and tacked on a bunch of crap you'd be surprised to hear a school self-reported: "Uh, we think Kellen Moore provided a couch for a recruit to sleep on. Also, too: It's possible the recruit used Mr. Moore's toilet paper when he dropped a deuce."
I wish I were exaggerating. But that's really the brunt of the distinction. Boise State committed a handful of ticky-tack violations, the like of which Ohio State has self-reported by the dozens over the years (as has every other school on the planet), and the NCAA -- in conjunction with one major violation -- concluded, "This might be a lack of institutional control."
Well, said.
The football team is not taking these allegations lightly, even though the improper benefits equalled out to $4,934 during the summers of 2005 through 2009 and that comes out to $78.32 per athlete and were repaid and is taking action.
Boise State is self-imposing penalties by reducing three scholarships over the next two seasons as well as losing three full-padded fall camp practices for the 2011 and 2012 seasons. That could be a big deal this year with Boise State taking on Georgia in the Chic-Fil-A Classic.
The only reason these violations are being reported is because of a minor sport at Boise State which committed the worst type of violation -- outside of paying players -- in suiting up a non-student. Now, the school has to defend itself to the NCAA with the ‘lack of institutional control' label, because if the label sticks there could be more action taken against the football team and the other sports. Regarding future violations -- even the extremely minor secondary violations -- could bring action against Boise State.
Boise State will meet with the NCAA Committee on Infractions June 10, and depending how that goes the NCAA could bring forth further penalties to the sports that are involved.
OBNUG put together the cliffs notes version of what happened I will hand it over to Kevan to explain the oddest of them all:
Story: "Boise State football tried to fix summer housing issue, created more NCAA violations," by Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman
Recap
You'll really like this one.Boise State worked directly with the NCAA in order to comply with the summer housing rules only to find out days before its 2009 season opener against Oregon that - oh by the way - the way they were doing it was still wrong and they either had to come clean on 23 more violations or risk future penalties that could involve vacated wins. What a crazy, Two and a Half Men premise this turned out to be!
Bronco coaches were led to believe that everything was above board so long as incoming players did not receive housing or meals or transportation for free. Turns out, Bronco coaches cannot even arrange any type of housing/meals/transportation. To avoid playing the Oregon game with ineligible players, the Broncos reported the additional violations and received reinstatement's for the offending players.
This will make a great Idaho Shakespeare Festival play some day. Seth Rogen is Brian Murphy in The Taming of the Air Mattress!
The NCAA makes no sense half the time, and this just confirms the classic quote from former UNLV head coach Jerry Tarkanian said: "the NCAA is so mad at Kentucky, it will probably slap another two years' probation on Cleveland State."
I think the NCAA will not tack on extra penalties for the football team, but with the NCAA you never know.
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