News came down today that the end is finally in sight on the issues that have plagued Ohio State since about a year ago. Unfortunately, that news came with a bit of a sour note.
The NCAA has sent the Buckeyes an addendum to their previous Notice of Allegations – an addendum that includes a Failure to Monitor charge, the second worst charge the NCAA can mete out to a program. The University has already responded to the allegations, which you can read in this document.
From the release:
The Ohio State University today announced that the institution and the NCAA enforcement staff have completed their joint investigation into the remaining matters not part of the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions hearing Aug. 12. As a result, the university has received a supplemental Notice of Allegations from the NCAA and has submitted its response. The filing of this response completes the university’s submissions to the committee. The university is hopeful that the Committee on Infractions will review these materials and render its final decision in the near future.
The recent notice from the NCAA had two allegations. The first was related to the “extra benefits” violations discovered through a joint investigation with the NCAA and publicly announced by the university Sept. 1 and Oct. 3 involving Robert DiGeronimo, who at the time was a representative of the institution’s athletics interests (also known as a “booster”). In February 2011, he arranged for cash payments of $200 each to four current or former student-athletes at an annual charity event for a nonprofit organization of which DiGeronimo was a board member. Additionally, the student-athletes attended the event without written approval from the athletics director or his designee. Further, DiGeronimo arranged for five student-athletes to be overcompensated by a total of $1,605 while they were employed by businesses owned and operated by the DiGeronimo family.
The second allegation asserts that the institution took insufficient action to monitor DiGeronimo, resulting in a “failure to monitor” allegation, primarily due to DiGeronimo’s overpayment to student-athlete employees and cash payments at the Cornerstone of Hope charitable event. This allegation only concerns a booster and does not relate to any of the issues discussed at the Aug. 12 Committee on Infractions hearing.
The University believes that this wraps up all the violations and ends the investigation, and that it is now time for the NCAA to make their ultimate penalty decision.
To that end, the NCAA has reportedly pushed back the date for their release of a public infractions report, which would be the final end to the investigation.
Ohio State has also self-imposed a 5 scholarship reduction over the next three seasons: two in 2012, two in 2013, and one in 2014.
We will update as more information becomes available.
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