Earlier today, we noted that Ohio State responded to their NCAA Notice of Allegations by slapping themselves on the wrist with a vacated 2010 season and, really, not much else.
And while the NCAA’s reaction to such a “punishment” is still yet to be seen -- tOSU’s meeting with the Committee on Infractions is set for Aug. 12 -- we do know the NCAA’s feeling on West Virginia’s football program following a lengthy investigation.
Thanks to a press release sent out by WVU sports information director Mike Montoro, it appears the NCAA will not inflict any additional punishment on the Mountaineers for three “failure to monitor” violations committed from 2005-2009 by WVU and former coaches Rich Rodriguez and Bill Stewart.
As you’ll recall, the NCAA’s investigation of the program last summer stemmed from an independent investigation of Rodriguez while he was the head coach of Michigan.
The violations found included “noncoaching staff members who performed duties that led the program to exceed the allowable number of coaches and coaching staff members who engaged in impermissible out-of-season athletically related activities.”
To take it a step further:
“The football program exceeded coaching staff limitations and conducted impermissible athletically related activities when noncoaching staff members, graduate assistant coaches and a student assistant coach participated in on- and off-field coaching activities. For example, five video graduate assistants monitored or conducted skills-development drills and attended position meetings where they worked directly with coaches. Their participation qualified them as countable coaches and the program therefore exceeded its allowable number of coaches.”
Basically, noncoaching assistants counted as coaches during drills in which no coaches were allowed to interact with players.
The violations reportedly started under Rodriguez while he was at WVU and continued under Stewart.
As a result, WVU’s athletic program imposed several sanctions on itself last year that included a decrease of two football scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year, two years probation and elimination of two noncoaching grad assistant positions.
You can read the NCAA’s full report and list of punishments HERE.
Additionally, below is a statement from WVU AD Oliver Luck:
“WVU is in receipt of the NCAA’s final report of an investigation into violations committed from 2005-2009 related to participation and monitoring of noncoaching staff members in drill and meeting activities reserved for countable coaches within our football program. We appreciate the hard work the Committee and the NCAA staff put into this process, particularly moving cooperatively to the summary disposition process.
“I am pleased that the Committee accepted the self-imposed penalties the University proposed, without imposing any additional ones. The University has already taken corrective action and put new systems in place to address all the issues raised.
“It is also important to note that probation does not affect our bowl eligibility or ability to compete for conference or national championships. It does, however, require annual reports over a two-year period, which we will complete.
“We have taken this case very seriously from the beginning and, as we’ve said, will move forward with a complete commitment to compliance in all that we do. We now look forward to an exciting football season and putting this process behind us.”