The Ducks can dance in the BCS again after NCAA ruling on Wednesday
(Photo Courtesy: USA Today Sports)
All of this hype over the Oregon sanctions and this is what we got? On Wednesday morning the NCAA and Oregon released the findings from the Committee on Infractions and the highlight and biggest sanctions against the Ducks for their “major violations” case? One scholarship reduction in each of the next two years, institutional wide NCAA probation for three years, and football official visits limited to 37 for the next three years.
OHHHH, gee….. Way to scare the crap out of these guys, huh? Notice what was missing from that list above? Oregon will not receive any postseason ban at all and that’s a massive win for both the Pac-12 and themselves. After all, the conference stands to gain $6 million should they get two teams into the final year of the BCS (and that sure looks likely on paper). That’s not a small chunk of change to be eligible for if you ask me.
Hell, while we’re on the subject of getting off light, how about Chip Kelly, huh? He received a whole 18 months worth of a show-cause penalty. Oh boy, that’ll really show the guy who’s in his first season coaching in the NFL – yep, you really nailed his rear end to the floor on that one NCAA.
What could be the biggest loss in this over-hyped situation? It may actually be the loss of what got them in trouble in the first place – recruiting services. The football team will not be able to use said services for the next three years (life of the probationary period). These services have been very helpful in transforming the Ducks into the power they have become both on the field and in the recruiting world.
No question about it, these services, along with the thousand plus uniform combinations from Phil Knight, have served to make the Ducks the hippest program in the country.
But, if that’s the worst of it all then Oregon has gotten off nearly scott-free on this one. I mean, seriously…. All this team did was improperly use the services of recruiting agencies to make themselves into a national powerhouse and all. I’m sure that one scholarship is really going to kill off the Ducks program.
Should they have gone SMU on them? Heck no, but I’ve seen stiffer penalties handed down for hosting ONE recruit at a coaches house and lying about it. Oregon only fessed up because they got caught, not because they realized they were doing anything wrong from the start. Could you have at least given a bit of teeth to this one? I’m sure other institutions will be scared straight with this MASSIVE hammer… OR NOT.
