It’s officially official: Georgia Tech is no longer the ACC’s champion for the 2009 season. Nor is anyone else, for that matter.
Eight months after appealing the NCAA’s decision to sanction the football program for events that occurred in late 2009, the Yellow Jackets announced Friday that The Association has denied said appeal. The NCAA handed down its ruling to the school earlier this morning.
The NCAA announced last July that the Yellow Jackets football program had been found to have committed three major violations: preferential treatment, stemming from a former Tech player-turned-sports agency employee giving impermissible benefits to a then-current player; failure to cooperate, stemming from the university allegedly “prepping” another player prior to his interview with the NCAA; and failure to meet the conditions and obligations of membership, a charge that was the result of Tech failing to withhold for three games the player who had received impermissible benefits.
As a result, Tech was fined $100,000, placed on probation for four years and vacated any wins for the 2009 season that occurred after Nov. 24. Included in the latter penalty was the stripping of the ACC title, which was the only penalty the university did not agree with and appealed.
“We are disappointed with the ruling of the NCAA appeals committee, but respect the process and the NCAA’s decision,” said Georgia Tech President G.P. “Bud” Peterson. “We felt we owed it to the Georgia Tech community and to our student athletes to exercise the appeals process provided by the NCAA in order to defend the integrity of Georgia Tech and to reaffirm our commitment to the principles and obligations of the NCAA.”
The ACC title was the only win vacated by the program. Two other games were played after the athletic department was alerted to potential eligibility issues involving a football player -- former wide receiver Demaryius Thomas -- but both of those were losses.
As noted by Tech in its release, the ruling issued today is the final decision in the NCAA appeal process.