SEC Talk

Alabama announced today that it will appeal NCAA sanctions that were handed down by the NCAA last week.

The sanctions were in response to self-reported infractions where UA athletes were getting free textbooks for friends. While athletes from 15 sports were involved, football sustained the biggest hit, with orders to vacate 21 wins from 2005-2007. It’s been speculated that football was more harshly reprimanded because the program was still in a five year probationary window from previous infractions.

“We appreciate that the committee recognized the isolated nature of this violation as well as UA’s immediate and aggressive actions to correct the situation as soon as we discovered the problem. However, we are disappointed with the excessiveness of the sanctions in view of the facts of this case and the penalties in other textbook infractions cases.

“There is no evidence or allegations of other NCAA violations; no coaches or administrators were involved; no players obtained books and sold them for cash, and all the books were returned or charged to the student’s account as required by the UA textbook policy in effect at that time.”

Alabama President Robert Witt

Bama has until June 26 to formally file with the NCAA’s Infractions Appeals Committee.

IN OTHER SEC NEWS:

Sites for upcoming men’s and women’s basketball tournaments were announced on Wednesday, added to sites previously announced:

Men’s Tournaments:
2010 - Sommet Center, Nashville, Tn.
2011 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.
2012 - New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, La.
2013 - Sommet Center, Nashville, Tn.
2014 - Georgia Dome, Atlanta, Ga.

Women’s Tournaments:
2010 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Duluth, Ga.
2011 - Sommet Center, Nashville, Tn.
2012 - Sommet Center, Nashville, Tn.
2013 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Duluth, Ga.
2014 - The Arena at Gwinnett Center, Dulluth, Ga.

The news out of Tuscaloosa isn’t good today.

The NCAA is reportedly going to place Alabama’s football program on three years probation and strip the school of up to 10 wins as a result of violations of textbook disbursement policy.

Additionally, Alabama will pay a fine. There will be no reduction of scholarships or bowl penalties.

The penalties are the result of student-athletes arranging for free textbooks for friends. Five football players, including starting linemen Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis and running back Glen Coffee, were suspended for four games in 2007. Although Bama lost three of its next four games, they crushed Tennessee 41-17, the day after the suspensions were announced.

The infractions occurred during Bama’s five year probationary period, which meant the University could have faced much more serious penalties. UA self-reported the violations when they were discovered more than a year and a half ago, although did not announce the situation to the public until three months after appearing before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions.

Football wasn’t the only sport involved. It has been reported that more than 200 UA athletes covering most sports participated. The problem was discovered by an employee of the University of Alabama Supply Store when a student account in excess of $1600 was found.

Bama hoped to avoid having to forfeit games, but the NCAA noted that the infractions went on for at least two years before being discovered, and that it could constitute a major infraction under the Lack of Institutional Control catagory.

Alabama has not decided whether to appeal the decision.

IN OTHER NEWS:

Tennessee’s Tyler Smith has withdrawn his name from the NBA draft and will return to the Vols for his senior season. Smith said the opportunity to stay and graduate, as well as be a part of what he called a “special” team, won out over the NBA.

Most likely the fact that most scouts projected Smith as an early second round pick weighed in the process, too.

Both Florida and Mississippi fell short in their bids to advance to the College World Series.

Ole Miss lost to Virginia 5-1, dropping the best of three series 2-1. The Rebels finish with a record of 44-20, and marked the fourth time in the last five years that they have been in a position to advance to the CWS. UM’s 44 wins ties the mark for second most wins in a season in school history set in 2006. The school record is 48 wins, set in 2005.

Florida is perhaps the biggest surprise of the Super Regionals, failing to win even one game. The Gators, ranked 9th took a lead into the 8th inning on Sunday, but #17 Southern Miss scored three to take the lead and the game. Florida led 6-1 in the third, but USM kept pounding away, eventually winning the right to advance to the CWS in Omaha this weekend.  Florida ends it’s season with a 42-22 record.

In a bit of irony, both Florida and Ole Miss were hosting regionals. So much for home field advantage.

Arkansas and LSU have already advanced to the CWS, along with Arizona State, Cal State Fullerton, North Carolina, Southern Miss and Virginia. Arkansas will play Cal State Fullerton and LSU will face Virginia in opening round action. Times and dates are TBA.

One spot is still open, to be decided on Monday. TCU and Texas will battle for the lone remaining slot, with the series tied at 1-1.

I wonder if Kentucky hoops coach John Calipari has been whistling “Everything Old is New Again” around the Commonwealth lately. Because the news from the NCAA regarding his tenure at Memphis must surely be leading him down Memory Lane.

Why? Seems Calipari’s former team, the University of Memphis has been served a “Notice of Allegations” by the NCAA, which prominently mention violations while Calipari was coach. Specifically, the charge reads that a student-athlete committed:

“knowing fraudulence or misconduct in connection with his entrance examination. Specifically, on (date redacted) an unknown individual completed (name redacted)’s SAT, with (name redacted)’s knowledge, which was used to obtain his admission into the institution” for the 2007-08 season.

In other words, (name redacted) had someone take his SAT exam in his place.

(Speculation has run amok that the offending player is Derrick Rose, who played only one season at Memphis.)

Now, if the charges are proved true, Memphis will be forced to forfeit the 38 wins they recorded that season (an NCAA record), and vacate the team’s NCAA Final Four appearance from that season.

Calipari has been down this path before. At UMass, his program was forced to forfeit wins as a result of NCAA violations. And, get this, UMass had to vacate the team’s Final Four appearance!

That’s right, folks. John Calipari is one of a precious few who have managed to take two schools to the NCAA Final Four, but he may become the first coach to have both of his team’s Final Four appearances vacated!

Now, lest you think the Bluegrass State is all tied up in knots over this news, fear not. Every blue-blooded Cats fan has rushed to the defense of Coach Cal. As they point out, he was never tied to the mess at UMass, nor has he been specifically named in the charges at Memphis. But coaches rarely are. They insulate themselves to the degree that they are borderline bullet-proof.

But if it happens on their watch, how can they claim to be that out of touch with the goings on of the program.

I’m not saying Calipari is guilty of anything, or of knowing anything. But at two coaching stops, his programs have been hit with major charges. Now he is in the pressure cooker known as Kentucky basketball. Winning isn’t enough. You have to win big. You have to win titles.

I hope that UK isn’t picking up the remnants of the Calipari years down the road.