NCAA Penalty Structure basics

Hugh Freeze: " Was that wrong? I have to tell you if someone had told me that was wrong when I was hired I wouldn't have done that."

They say they didn't knowingly cheat. #MistakesWereMade

Hugh Freeze, more than any other coach, prides himself on recruiting. There is NO WAY he and his staff didn't know the NCAA recruiting rules. It's what's most important to them, so of course they knew the rules.

Furthermore, they and every other college coach in America has to take a test each year certifying their knowledge of NCAA rules.

#LiesWereTold

The NCAA investigators and Committee on Infractions are not some sequestered jury that doesn't get to listen to the media. As pointed out in Thamel's article they took offense at Bjork's statement that the investigation was over when it clearly wasn't.

They are also probably going to note that Freeze and Bjork are showing little contrition and remorse about this. Being defiant about your own innocence and even blaming rival schools in the face of all of this evidence has to rub them the wrong way. They are basically calling the NCAA tools.

Hugh Freeze still has not learned to keep his mouth shut and I'd bet on Friday that he puts more drivel out there.

That's my question: How will cheating under the NCAA's noses be factored into the punishment matrix. The matrix seems pretty objective, but there's got to be a little subjectivity involved

As much time and resources that the NCAA has used over the last several years investigating I just do not see any way that they don't get hammered. You don't spend several years investigating something to just slap them on the wrist. The NCAA is down to their last life line and this is a golden opportunity to hammer a school that is considered decent but is not one of the "elites". No way they let them skate by without significant punishment. If they do they will be making their own death bed.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

Thats what they are selling their fans. And of course their fans eat it up...

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There is no way they will get mitigated status for all 8 level ones. The best they can hope for is 2 or 3 and maybe one reduced to level 2. Even with that, they will still have 4 or 5 level one violations. Yeah, not good.

How many of them will be aggravated is the better question. By themselves I could see how you could mitigate some of the penalties but after all of the other stuff and the fact OM got caught cheating while still under investigation should cause all of them to be aggravated.

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Originally Posted by Coach34

Thats something the Bearsharks just dont seem to realize will be a factor:

You are getting busted for cheating while under investigation already. That fact is not going to be lost on the COI

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The greatest quote from the SMU documentary is when they say, "we can't just stop paying, we have a payroll now". That's what OM is in right now. They have a payroll that has to be maintained no matter what, even if the NCAA is in town

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Originally Posted by Dawgowar

Okay - before I read the NOA I had settled on ULL + 4 for the Saunders stuff. Roughly 15 scholarships and since it was academics maybe a one year post-season ban.

The NCAA can't let time be a major determining factor in lessening a penalty. If they do, you tell every school to delay and kill the clock if investigated. Hiding a wrong is better than facing the music 100% of the time.

Just a hunch, Saunders was let go by UNM but not because of his recruiting methods.

ULL got significant dings for this and had less involved. That remains a 15 Scholarship loss minimally.

Move on to the rest of the train wreck. The HC with a booster while benefits given. Involvement of assistants. The entire pre-draft Tunsil issue with cars and loans. Toss in multiple sports with a similar pattern of management.

This, IMHO, put them in the land of 18-25, closer to 18 if they had truly cooperated.

Then came draft night coupled with what we refer to as Round II allegations.

If the UNM administration, staff, and boosters are caught in even one lie about cooperation with each other, benefits being paid, or another violation, UNM just moved into the land of AGGRAVATED. In that instance they will finally get the kind of recognition the USC Trojans got. 20-30 scholarships, SC's, and postseason would demolish them in this conference.

For how long will they wander in the wilderness? Well, 30 for 30 will make a movie about "Vanderbilt - From Conference Cellar to National Title" before UNM is done being homecoming fodder.

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They left USC in the dust months ago. They're going for broke.

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Originally Posted by Hrdawg82

The greatest quote from the SMU documentary is when they say, "we can't just stop paying, we have a payroll now". That's what OM is in right now. They have a payroll that has to be maintained no matter what, even if the NCAA is in town

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Yep.

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Originally Posted by Hrdawg82

The greatest quote from the SMU documentary is when they say, "we can't just stop paying, we have a payroll now". That's what OM is in right now. They have a payroll that has to be maintained no matter what, even if the NCAA is in town

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You hit the nail on the head. UNM is between a rock and a hard place. There are strong...STRONG rumors out there that the NCAA is offering immunity to current athletes willing to work with them. If UNM stops paying then some players will roll on them because they have no reason not to. That would start a snowball I believe. At his point UNM HAS to double-down or they are screwed. So...which gamble do you take? Stop paying and risk the good chance that an athlete will flip or keep paying and hope the NCAA doesn't (or hasn't already) uncovered your strategy.

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Originally Posted by Indndawg

That's my question: How will cheating under the NCAA's noses be factored into the punishment matrix. The matrix seems pretty objective, but there's got to be a little subjectivity involved

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The subjectivity comes in when the COI classifies a violation as aggravated, standard, etc.

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Originally Posted by 1bigdawg

The subjectivity comes in when the COI classifies a violation as aggravated, standard, etc.

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The fact that a suspect in an ongoing NCAA investigation was texting an OM athletics administrator during the investigation asking for money removes any chance for leniency. They were screwed before. I don't even know what to call it now. And they still haven't fired Barney. They're about to get ripped a new one.

Another things that's lost in this is the whole "SEC office will help." That might be true in its face, but several SEC members turned them in. The voting members of the SEC. The front office has its hands tied here. Barring a clean break from the NCAA, there's no saving OM at this point.

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Originally Posted by Political Hack

The fact that a suspect in an ongoing NCAA investigation was texting an OM athletics administrator during the investigation asking for money removes any chance for leniency. They were screwed before. I don't even know what to call it now. And they still haven't fired Barney. They're about to get ripped a new one.

Another things that's lost in this is the whole "SEC office will help." That might be true in its face, but several SEC members turned them in. The voting members of the SEC. The front office has its hands tied here. Barring a clean break from the NCAA, there's no saving OM at this point.

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No salvation to be had in the Grove. They were in deep before the draft night text expose - now that the whole nation knows the scheme included an Asst AD, they are royally screwed.

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Originally Posted by LockeDawg

No salvation to be had in the Grove. They were in deep before the draft night text expose - now that the whole nation knows the scheme included an Asst AD, they are royally screwed.

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Even if they were trying to make a backroom deal, even if the SEC was trying to step in and save them, even if Freezus pronounces the "favor of God and some luck" on them they are still screwed.

That's why I and I alone think that all of the precedents set for not handing out bowl bans, TV bans, and even the death penalty are moot at this point. No one including SMU has gone to these lengths to cheat. No one has ever been this brazenly dishonest. And this was done after 2012 when the NCAA claimed to be getting their sack back.

And might I add that the SEC is not going to be happy that their streak of no one on probation is being broken by such a rogue administration.