NCAA: Oklahoma to forfeit 2005 wins, lose scholarships
If you’ve been reading here much, you know I think many NCAA violations border the edge of stupidity. I agree with the NCAA on this one, though.
The announcement came Wednesday that Oklahoma would forfeit its 2005 wins and lose two scholarships for the 2008-09 and 2009-2010 seasons. The punishment results from a situation in which players were booted from the team for being paid for work they had not performed for a car dealership. The Sooners’ current probation was extended until May 23, 2010.
The NCAA found that Oklahoma didn’t keep close enough tabs on many players’ employment, which allowed NCAA violations to occur.
It’s sad that many players will be punished due to the lapses of two, and I feel sorry for the ones who were not involved because they worked hard for those wins. But there was a level of dishonesty in this situation with the two players that sets a terrible precedent, and the punishment had to be severe to make it clear that ethics do matter. Allowing this situation to go unpunished would be like saying it’s OK, you’re a football player, you don’t have to work for your money like everyone else does. And that’s a load of crap.
This punishment will undoubtedly serve as a warning to other schools that might be tempted to straddle or cross the ethical line. The NCAA clearly won’t tolerate the wrongdoing, and neither should college football fans who work hard for their entertainment dollars.
NCAA, college, football, Oklahoma, forfeit, vacate, 2005, wins, lose scholarships, punishment
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