NCAA: The UConn Benchmark

General12

Some news and notes from the world of NCAA rules violations and enforcement that should not go unnoticed.

Link

Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun will be suspended for the first three Big East games of the 2011-12 season and the program has been placed on three years’ probation by the NCAA, after the body’s Committee on Infractions found the school violated rules on phone calls, texts and improper benefits to a recruit.

The program also had its scholarships reduced, from 13 to 12, for the next three seasons, and will be limited to five official paid recruiting visits for the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, the committee said. The committee said it based the sanctions on its findings that Calhoun failed to monitor the program and failed to create an atmosphere promoting rules compliance.

The penalties did not include a postseason ban for the Huskies.

There is more discussion and information at the link provided.

For more on some correlations drawn to a local football program…this thread is one that cannot be missed. It has a lot of great information in the links provided.

We think the penalty is appropriate,” said Dennis Thomas, chairman of the Committee on Infractions. “The head coach should be aware, but, also in the same frame, the head coach obviously cannot be aware of everything that goes on within the program. However, the head coach bears that responsibility.”

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

General

12 Responses to NCAA: The UConn Benchmark

  1. Wufpacker 02/27/2011 at 7:35 AM #

    Hope Calhoun doesn’t have a heart attack while sitting his horribly unfair punishment. (/sarcasm) I bet Jimmy V would have sold his soul to Satan himself to get off with a three game suspension. That is if he hadn’t sold it already in March of ’83 (Sorry…I keed, I keed.)

    But seriously. Wherever Jimmy V is now, I bet he’s petitioning whoever runs the appeals process for a reprieve based on this ruling. Sheeeesh. He still will also be competing conference and NCAA Championships as no post-season ban was issued.

    At this rate, Carolina will be missing Butch for about a game and half (adjusted for shorter football schedule, of course) and lose what…three scholarships? No bowl ban, of course (but that was already probably a given anyway).

    What happened to this new head of NCAA compliance being a shoot first ask questions later kinda guy?

  2. choppack1 02/27/2011 at 1:54 PM #

    I wonder if the change of NCAA leadership is going to return us to a day where the violations are greeted w/ a wink and a nod. I looked through the violation sheet here – and there’s clearly enough to warrant a one-year post-season ban.

    However, I have a feeling that the NCAA will likely continue the wrist-slapping, and then stupidly wonder why there’s such a problem w/ the integrity of these schools playing the game.

    There’s not a damn thing in the world wrong w/ a zero tolerance policy when it comes to cheating. But they tend to play this game like some want to have play our immigration game – let’s make sure that there are penalties out there, but we’ll make it so easy and so beneficial to break the rules, that’s it’s almost foolish not to break them.

    How does this impact UNC? It’s hard to say, but based on this punishment, one has to wonder if they’ll receive serious punishment at all. I can see a reduction in scholarships (like 3 or 4 a year) – but that’s about it – unless there are other violations we don’t know about.

  3. 61Packer 02/27/2011 at 2:51 PM #

    I keep telling you that UNC will NOT be seriously punished, if at all, for this mess.

    Golden rule is in effect; “They who have the gold, rule.”

  4. PackerInRussia 02/27/2011 at 3:51 PM #

    I hope that when the UNC decision is given that there is a better explanation. With phrases like this: “and will be limited to five official paid recruiting visits,” Butch will think this means that he can only pay players on five visits.

  5. ryebread 02/27/2011 at 5:03 PM #

    61Packer: I hate to say it, but I agree. I hope like heck that I’m proven wrong, but I have little faith that UNC will have anything significant as a result of this investigation.

    Now if SW Missouri State was accused of the same thing, I’m sure they’d have no program. UNC is a cash cow for the NCAA much like UConn is. I don’t think anything will come of their transgressions as a result.

  6. 61Packer 02/27/2011 at 5:12 PM #

    The NCAA hasn’t seen a guilty golden goose yet………

  7. VaWolf82 02/27/2011 at 6:13 PM #

    The NCAA hasn’t seen a guilty golden goose yet

    This is wrong on at least two levels:

    – In what alternate universe is UNC football a golden goose for the NCAA?

    – Kentucky basketball and Alabama football have both been on probation multiple times along with UCLA basketball shortly after Wooden retired.

  8. choppack1 02/27/2011 at 7:07 PM #

    And look at UConn – this is when you wonder exactly where our media is.

    Basically, UConn either had an assistant or a former assistant pay for the kid’s foot surgery. And what’s the real punishment – zero, zilch, nada.

    Like I said, this basically screams to coaches – cheat, get caught, plead ignorance and miss a few games.

    You’ve really got to wonder who USC pissed off to actually get punished.

  9. packof81 02/27/2011 at 10:34 PM #

    I must also agree with 61packer. The NCAA’s silence on the UNC scandal has been deafening. Apparently, the NCAA intends to do nothing more. The whole thing appears to be tabled.

    I said months ago this thing stinks as high as it goes. Well, we now know how high it goes.

  10. blpack 02/27/2011 at 10:55 PM #

    Seems like the NCAA has been busy with Tenn, UConn, the USC appeal, etc. Still no reason to think UNC-ch football won’t get hit hard. Hoops no way, it is an insulated cash cow, football isn’t as fortunate.

  11. wolfmanmat 02/28/2011 at 7:54 AM #

    Phone calls/texts/etc have certain rules around them and if you make 2 many the NCAA steps in. BUT the penalty for these infractions should be minimal. Give em a slap on the hand and move on. Those rules are just to keep someone from calling a kid 24/7. If it happens again, then get more severe. HOWEVER, when “paying to play” is involved, impose sanctions. This is how it should be. When Reggie Bush knowingly takes cash to play and it can be tied to USC, then suspention happens. When your assistant coach hands out dough to 15 guys, sanctions should happen. The NCAA is going to get UNC football….I doubt it hits UNC basketball tho and who really cares about UNC football anyway?

  12. Pack84 02/28/2011 at 8:40 AM #

    As much as it saddens me to say so, I suppose I’m more likely to hit it big in the lottery than UNC-CHeat is to get hit with major sanctions. They’ll get a slap on the wrist and be told in no uncertain terms “don’t do that anymore”

Leave a Reply