SMU Golf Hit Hard with NCAA Violations

[mvmac]

Bryson DeChambeau won’t be able to defend his title after NCAA bans SMU from postseason play for violations involving recruiting.

What do you think of the NCAA's penalties for SMU?

http://www.globalgolfpost.com/now/2015/09/29/smu-golf-hit-hard-with-ncaa-violations

According to the NCAA, former head coach Josh Gregory committed several recruiting violations in the form of 64 impermissible contacts over a 10-month period. Gregory also offered university merchandise and golf equipment to prospects at a significantly reduced price in 2013. Adding to the trouble was an SMU booster who was contacting prospects:

“Over a four-month period, a booster contacted nine golf prospects and facilitated contact between the former golf coach and the prospects and their families. He also encouraged the prospects to arrange unofficial visits to the university. During his interview with NCAA enforcement staff, the former golf coach said he was unaware of the booster’s activity with the program.  However, the panel determined the former golf coach was aware of the booster’s contact with the prospects because he was copied on emails and was given updates on the prospects by the booster. The former golf coach violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when he denied knowledge of the booster activity.” – NCAA Statement

The violations have resulted in steep penalties for the program, including a postseason ban for the 2015-2016 season. Here is a full list of the penalties:

A three-year probation period from Sept. 29, 2015, through Sept. 28, 2018.

A $5,000 fine plus one percent of the total budget for the men’s basketball and golf programs.

A 2015-16 postseason ban for the men’s basketball and golf programs.

A permanent disassociation of the booster from the university’s athletics program based on his involvement with the violations in the men’s golf program.

A three-year prohibition of apparel and merchandise sales by the coaching staff to men’s golf prospects.

A three-year reduction of men’s golf scholarships from the average number awarded over the previous four years by 25 percent from 2016-17 through 2018-19.

A prohibition from hosting unofficial visits for a 13-week period during the summer of 2016 for the men’s basketball and golf programs.

[boogielicious]

Bad Day for SMU!

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/13769364/ncaa-bans-smu-mustangs-2016-postseason-suspends-larry-brown-10-percent-team-games

Quote:

NCAA bans SMU from 2016 postseason, Larry Brown for nine games

They are just messing up all over.

[mcanadiens]

Wow. All that after the history of their football program. Pony Excess again.

[Mr. Desmond]

Well, the golf stuff was pretty rinky-dink.

The real penalty was probably based on: The former coach should have been truthful - lying is what probably got them the heavy penalty, as well as not stopping the booster.

Basketball...

We are talking about a liberal arts school with a relatively small, white student body in the middle of Dallas - nice campus, the Bush Library is on the periphery - no mountains, hills or beach nearby, hotter than hell in the summer ... not exactly a recruiting mecca.

Don't know what they did, but ... it is what it is.

[David in FL]

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time....

[Mr. Desmond]

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time....

Just seems punitive for what it seems nothing the players did.

It was a former head coach and a booster ... let the kids play, take away a scholarship or two, disassociate the booster, and fine them some money. Maybe give the money to an underfunded program.

NCAA takes themselves far too seriously.

[Golfingdad]

Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time....

Couldn't think of a situation where this little diddy could apply LESS, than your typical NCAA recruiting scandal.

NCAA sanctions frequently punish players and coaches who had nothing to do with the people who actually committed the violations.  Most recently, USC received harsh penalties to its football program (and basketball program as well) just a few years ago that punished an entirely different set of players, different coaches, and even a different athletic director than were at the school when the infractions took place.

[ElWagonne]

The golf part was harsh......losing 1 1/8 scholarships per year will sting (though considering SMU's prototypical student, if a kid wants to go there, they'll probably end up there).  Basketball, Larry Brown has had sanctions at every college job he's had and shops for jobs like women shop for purses, so it's not the most shocking thing in the world.

[InTheRough]

Why does the NCAA constantly insist on punishing the players at a school for practices of the coaches and the boosters especially when they hit a team after the culprit has left a program? The NCAA's own commercials say that the overwhelming majority of the athletes are not going to become professionals in their sport and yet they love taking away their chance at the last title they probably will ever play for. Suspend the coach, fine them, pull scholarships, go after the booster somehow, but DO NOT hurt the players.

Let's also not lose sight of the fact that the only reason that these restrictions are in place is so the NCAA can continue to label them as "student-athletes" so they can continue to make millions of dollars off of them every year without paying them a cent in return.

rant over...clearly i am not a fan of the NCAA

[David in FL]

Couldn't think of a situation where this little diddy could apply LESS, than your typical NCAA recruiting scandal. NCAA sanctions frequently punish players and coaches who had nothing to do with the people who actually committed the violations.  Most recently, USC received harsh penalties to its football program (and basketball program as well) just a few years ago that punished an entirely different set of players, different coaches, and even a different athletic director than were at the school when the infractions took place.

But we're not talking about USC, or any other "typical NCAA recruiting scandal". We're talking about this one. Where the coach was aware of the Booster's actions, and allowed them to continue without any intervention. This whole "they're punishing the kids" thing is BS. Are the kids affected? Maybe slightly, but the vast majority aren't losing a damn thing other than the ability to play in a few games or tournaments. They may even learn something along the way about actions and consequences....a real life lesson.

[InTheRough]

But we're not talking about USC, or any other "typical NCAA recruiting scandal". We're talking about this one. Where the coach was aware of the Booster's actions, and allowed them to continue without any intervention.

This whole "they're punishing the kids" thing is BS. Are the kids affected? Maybe slightly, but the vast majority aren't losing a damn thing other than the ability to play in a few games or tournaments. They may even learn something along the way about actions and consequences....a real life lesson.

I understand where your line of thinking is with this but i think its a little off base.  It may be BS to the outside observer but it is certainly not BS to the athlete who has worked hard to get there.  They aren't just losing a few games or tournaments, they are losing the biggest games and tournaments--what you are striving after every time you step onto the field or into the gym.

Also they hopefully do take something away from the situation about actions and consequences but unfortunately they are also learning that they deserve to be punished for something completely outside of their control

[isukgolf]

Wow, you would think they would have learned a few years back ...

[David in FL]

I understand where your line of thinking is with this but i think its a little off base.  It may be BS to the outside observer but it is certainly not BS to the athlete who has worked hard to get there.  They aren't just losing a few games or tournaments, they are losing the biggest games and tournaments--what you are striving after every time you step onto the field or into the gym.   Also they hopefully do take something away from the situation about actions and consequences but unfortunately they are also learning that they deserve to be punished for something completely outside of their control

That same line of reasoning would say not to send a criminal to jail, because it could affect his family. The fact that people not directly at fault may be adversely affected when punishment is applied, doesn't mean that the punishment isn't warranted. And yes, in life we're often affected by things outside of our control.

[Mr. Desmond]

Wow, you would think they would have learned a few years back ...

That was 30 years ago...

Besides, SMU forced the resignation of the coach over a year ago.

They apparently received no credit for that ...

[Mr. Desmond]

That was 30 years ago...

Besides, SMU forced the resignation of the coach over a year ago.

They apparently received no credit for that ...

And according to the report, Gregory will not be able to seek employment at an NCAA member school until Sept. 28, 2019.

So discounts of $777.00,  64 "impermissible contacts", phone calls, etc. and contacts with parents, and the coach not able to get a job for 4 years gets you no postseason play, loss of scholarships, and decimation of the program through recruits changing school.

Justice? I think not. SMU gets the shaft ... thirty years ago they deserved it ... this time, it's harsh.

[Pretzel]

That same line of reasoning would say not to send a criminal to jail, because it could affect his family. The fact that people not directly at fault may be adversely affected when punishment is applied, doesn't mean that the punishment isn't warranted.

The problem is that the team members did nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Maybe if they allowed the players to compete as unaffiliated individuals and any of their achievements would be disassociated with the school? Or at least let the players play, even if they are not eligible for awards on a team or individual level. Getting hit with a blanket ban from competition can't help their golf games.

[David in FL]

The problem is that the team members did nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Maybe if they allowed the players to compete as unaffiliated individuals and any of their achievements would be disassociated with the school? Or at least let the players play, even if they are not eligible for awards on a team or individual level. Getting hit with a blanket ban from competition can't help their golf games.

The team members weren't punished, the program was. Nothing is preventing any players who want to leave to play for another school from doing so. Nor are new recruits prevented from deciding to go elsewhere. That's why the punishment is so effective as it relates to the program. The NCAA exists to administer collegiate athletics. They do so by, among other things, establishing common rules under which all member schools participate. The NCAA has no responsibility at all for developing or helping an individual athlete's "game".

[Pretzel]

Except that they can't play in the postseason for a different team this same year. You can't transfer in time and still be eligible, you are slapped with a 1 year ban from competition when you transfer to prevent players from team-hopping to keep scholarships.

It is absolutely punishing the current players.