June 21, 2007
Buffs get probation, lose scholarship for major violation
The Colorado Buffaloes will be placed on a two-year probation and lose one football scholarship for allowing 86 football walk-ons (and 47 athletes from other sports) to have discounted and/or free meals over a six-year period.
These violations involve 133 non-scholarship student-athletes in six sports being undercharged for training table meals. The impermissible benefits totaled $61,700 over the course of six academic years and led to the committee finding that the institution failed to monitor its training table program.Penalties for the violations include placing the university on two years of probation; a fine of $100,000 to be paid to a charitable cause involved in efforts to alleviate hunger and/or homelessness; and a reduction in scholarships, among other sanctions.
The NCAA notes that CU uncovered the violations and self-reported to the NCAA. Colorado will not appeal the decision, which essentially accepted the university's own proposed sanctions.
“We fully embrace and accept the NCAA’s sanctions, which are very close to what we recommended as self-imposed sanctions in our report to the NCAA,” said CU Athletic Director Mike Bohn. “I want to say very clearly that this in no way reflects poorly upon our student-athletes; rather, it represents a challenge to our athletic department leadership to more effectively understand and apply NCAA bylaws, and to better communicate these bylaws to our coaches and staff. I can assure the public and the entire university community that we will achieve both of these ends, and have already taken steps to do so.”
This is the second major infraction for Colorado in five years.
Comments:
posted on June 21, 2007 5:32 PM — 64.12.116.77 — link — abuse?War Eagle Atlanta said:
Pretty mild infractions, as they go, but piling up violations on a consistent basis isn't good.
I was recently trying to find some information on the 20th anniversary aftermath of the SMU 'death' penalty. (not suggesting remotely that Colorodo would be a candidate) Now, those were some rules violations. The chancellor of the university, who later became Governor of Texas, approved the continuing 'salary' payments to players in spite of a major probabtion handed down in the early 1980s. Talk about cojones! I've heard it mentioned that these days the NCAA has essentially taken the death penalty off the table, mainly because the damage it does to the team's conference and opponents. Anyone have any knowledge?
Chris said:
posted on June 21, 2007 5:49 PM — 75.88.82.170 — link — abuse?
Once again, CU is THE embarassment of the Big 12. You would think with a town as beautiful as Boulder, the University wouldn't need to continually cheat and resort to illegal activities to recruit or keep athletes. Free meals, prostitutes, why not just buy all their athletes homes, cars, and drugs and do it up right.
Maybe Tom (dedumbass) Dienhart was right after all... the 12 should realign by dumping CU in favor of Air Force or somebody, anybody, else!
Zac said:
posted on June 21, 2007 6:50 PM — 65.31.230.72 — link — abuse?
Let's see if I have this right: We're talking about $61,700.00 in discounts over 6 years to 133 non-scholarship student athletes. We could look at that as $10,283.33/year that CO lost to those attending and paying their own tuition, OR less than $464.00/student involved. WOW!!! Now there's an incentive to attend CO for ya. AND, for this kindness, CO gets fined $100,000.00 in charity to feed the hungry and/or house the homeless. (No, I haven't forgotten about the scholarship thing either.)
I work for a company which is constantly wooed by vendors who want to show us their wares. They give us mugs, hats, T-shirts, golf balls, etc. But let a coach lend a kid a couple of bucks for cap fair, or give a kid a baseball cap or t-shirt, and it's open season on that school. The NCAA needs to re-sort their priorities and establish some perspective as to that which is really important. Just a thought.
posted on June 21, 2007 6:57 PM — link — abuse?
This got bumped up to a major violation because it went on for years and years. That's a pretty blatent disregard, and I think that what got the NCAA to bump it to major.
SEMINOLE_NATION said:
posted on June 21, 2007 7:11 PM — 71.14.108.232 — link — abuse?
I wonder how often a school KNOWS the entire time this goes on, decides not to do anything, then when they feel they are close to being caught or turned in, they approach the NCAA and say...
Well, we found out this was happening and we just wanted to turn ourselves in, cause ya know, it's the right thing to do. Oh, and we're very very sorry it happened. If we were you we'd say a fine, loss of a scholarship, and two year probation are in order. Have a great day.
Maybe they do that on purpose after knowingly breaking the rules for 6 years due to the idea that if the NCAA found out on their own or they were turned in... the penalty would be considerably worse then them making themselves look "self policing" and doing the right thing.
Just a thought.
TrojanHorse said:
posted on June 21, 2007 8:39 PM — 75.75.86.11 — link — abuse?
Going along the line with what Zac stated above:
this is $10>11K per year for six years.. and the benefit was.. providing walk ons (whom I presume pay their own tuition and expenses..
lets see (breaking out my handy dandy cell phone calculator here) that comes out too (rounding included here).. plus it would help if they had some support as to how they came up with the total numbers for cost of the training table... such as the variable cost calculations for these extra heads..
$61,700 total over six years
$10283 per year average (61700/6)
133 athletes total
avg benefit was $464 (61700/133)the 86 football players had a cumulative benefit based on avg costs of $39896=(464*86) or $6649=(39896/6) per year cumulative
avg benefit per player per year using the avg method.. was a whopping $77.31 per per head per year (464 avg per head above/6 years) and yes I realize that these guys didn't take benefits for six straight years each.. but the point is that even if I take the 464 bucks and say each walk on did it for one year.. that $464 benefit is meaningless when it comes to CU obtaining a competitive edge over everyone else.. I'm sure there are holes in my algorythm.. but you get the point
Does anyone on here think that CU had a competitive advantage b/c walk ons were allowed access to the training table?????
Barry in MO said:
posted on June 21, 2007 10:13 PM — 216.41.135.108 — link — abuse?
#3, nahh CU's not an embarrassment. Just the
negative media coverage. Still a good research
school in a beautiful state. Maybe they can
research a way to tell the NCAA where to cram
their rulebook.We live in a country comprised of 50 states. To
tell 50 state's worth of schools to conform to 1 association's uniform business standards is
getting a bit out of hand. I think the NCAA is
about to govern their way right out of business.
Make them conform to a few simple rules and
enjoy the uniqueness from program to program.I mean, how often have they been able to crown
a champion w/o half the country bickering about
the legitamcy, polls, or whatever??
Just a thought...Tomcat said:
posted on June 21, 2007 11:27 PM — 69.150.78.60 — link — abuse?
#5 Zac If you really break it down, it comes down to $6.44 per month per student.One the equivence of one meal per student per month.
Kinda makes you shiver at the thought of such a horrendous violation.For such a fine educational institution as Colorado to stoop to such unethical practices.This is an outrageous act of misappropriation of public funds.The Chancellor, Athletic Director,Head Coach and Governor of the State of Colorado have probably never eaten a free meal on State funds,why let student-athletes.
Whats next? free ball caps or worse
Hookem-HornsTomcat said:
posted on June 22, 2007 3:56 AM — 69.150.78.60 — link — abuse?
Hey Kev I was joking above and I read the article on the link.Sounds like a pretty stiff penalty for an oversight.Other than the fine and the loss of scholarships, what does the two year probation mean? No T.V. etc. etc.
Please clarify Thanks Tomcat
posted on June 22, 2007 3:04 PM — link — abuse?
#7 - It happens ALL THE TIME. I think it depends on the severity of the incident, but still - it happens all the time.
Zac said:
posted on June 22, 2007 4:19 PM — 209.36.193.14 — link — abuse?
Clearly, you guys have all gotten my point here. On the surface, we’re looking at a hefty sum (more than $60,000.00). When put into perspective, we’re looking at an alleged violation (Well, it’s official now.) which amounts to nothing more than a hill of beans (a small one at that), and really resulted in no advantage to CO sports what-so-ever. For this they get taken out to the wood-shed. I think it stinks!!!
Tomcat said:
posted on June 22, 2007 9:27 PM — 69.150.78.60 — link — abuse?
#13 I agree, kinda reminds me of being in the bar business.The T.B.A.C. has a book of laws that are beyond ridiculous.When you wake up in the morning your breaking the law. The NCAA kinda reminds me of that. Micro managment of every minute detail including the lunch room.Let the boys play sports and let them eat too.
The prisoners in the State Pen should have to pay for their lunch too.
Hookem-HornsMike Knoll said:
posted on June 23, 2007 1:04 PM — 65.212.210.114 — link — abuse?
There are student athletes dealing drugs, fighting in bars, envolved in murders, DUIs, sexual misconduct, and host of other criminal activities. When is the NCAA going to crack down on these and not a free lunch? In some people's eye the image of the NCAA and college storts is not looking to good right now.
Zac said:
posted on June 23, 2007 11:15 PM — 65.31.230.72 — link — abuse?
Hey, Mike (Post 15), what are "storts", and how does one get "envolved" in murders? I'm just messing with you; spell check doesn't save me either. You do raise a good point. Wouldn't it be interesting, when a student athlete's name shows up on a docket, if they no longer belong to the school, but become the NCAA's problem? I still believe in "innocent until proven guilty", and that doesn't mean the school can't back the athlete, but I'll bet fewer of these shenanigans will get swept under the carpet. Just a thought.
Ramblin' Gator said:
posted on June 27, 2007 3:41 PM — 74.185.133.40 — link — abuse?
Not that I'm a Buffs fan, but...
The NCAA is going to have to stop handing out "major" punishments to schools that self-report their infractions. The NCAA does not have a large enough investigative arm to do much good without the schools admitting some level of guilt (see "Reggie Bush" for a complete illustration of this).
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goodolnuma5 said:
posted on June 21, 2007 5:20 PM — 65.24.221.145 — link — abuse?Crap, pure crap. I can see punishing OU for their QBs boneheadedness, I can see the problem with all those walkons (walkons can work), but training table? What, the food is that good?
Is McCartney still busy?