NCAA Penalties Off Balance

After waiting several months, on Friday afternoon, Florida State University received word on the findings and penalties of the NCAA investigation into an academic fraud case from back in 2007.

According to FSU, Florida State University officials said that "they are pleased that the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Committee on Infractions accepted the findings of its investigative committee and acknowledged that nearly all of the penalties self-imposed by the university were appropriate".

The NCAA went a step further, however, and ruled Florida State must vacate all wins in which ineligible athletes in 10 sports competed. In this case, wins will not turn to losses, it will be as if these games had never been played.

Since FSU immediately suspended all players involved upon learning of the problems, which is in line with NCAA guidelines, "We just don't understand the sanction to vacate all wins in athletics contests in which student-athletes competed because we did not allow anyone who we knew was ineligible to compete," FSU President T. K. Wetherell said in a statement.

I am with T.K. here, because first on the list of those to feel the pain of this particular ruling is football coach Bobby Bowden. Coach Bowden, 78, is in a batte with Penn State Coach Joe Paterno as the winningest coach of all time, with Bowden 1 game back prior to this ruling. Given the age of Coach Bowden, this essentially hands the record to Paterno as Bowden would lose 14 victories.

It is most unfortunate these events happened, and those charged with preventing this type of fraud on the academic side were dismissed, including former AD Dave Hart. But, they did, and there are consequences for actions and sometimes folks away from the events suffer as well. No competitive advantage was ever gained from this situation and it was promptly dealt with, to NCAA guidelines, immediately upon FSU having knowledge.

While media pundits around the state feel, and I agree, that the penalties could have been much worse, the vacating of wins forces Bowden to be unfairly stigmatized and face the heaviest penalty. This action by the NCAA is over reaching, as evidenced by a very similar case Oklahoma faced a few years back.

I have known Coach Bowden for over 25 years. For those who have never been in contact with him, he is exactly what you see on television, a competitive, kind and humorous gentleman. Most important to him is his Christian faith and his family, and yes, the Seminole family. I have great respect for him and admire him very much as not only as Coach, but as an individual.

I hope FSU is successful in appealing this part of the sanctions levied, for Coach Bowden is undeserving of this stigma and losing a chance at the record as decided by some suits in Kansas. I am fairly certain Bowdens fans are more worried about it that he is.

I look forward to seeing Coach Bowden in May when he visits Orlando and to putting this unfortunate incident behind the Seminole faithful, of which I am proudly one. Go 'Noles!