The loose algorithm used is program success lessens the punishment. Loser schools get the book thrown at them. Pretty much the same as our nation's legal system when you think of it.
Media should roar about UL's ban. The school is doing what is best for them instead of what is best for the student athletes. A future scholarship reductions would have been more appropriate.
UNC's issue is unique since the courses found to be a facade were open to ALL students and thus not just a problem for the athletic programs. I just happened that they took heavy advantage of the easy grades.
What ever happened to the schools paying cash DIRECTLY for recruits like Miami, Oregon, Auburn, etc...??? Nada. Just the way it is.
"... UNC's issue is unique since the courses found to be a facade were open to ALL students and thus not just a problem for the athletic programs."
This is why the NCAA cast the UNC situation as "impermissible benefits" as it results in a much stronger case than to cast it as "academic fraud." Academic fraud is the purview and focus of the accreditation agency (SACS), which found gross negligence at UNC, resulting in the school being placed on a one-year probation, and that really is a big deal.
It is evident (per UNC's response to SACS and the Wainstein Report) that the AFAM scam originated to benefit MBB under Dean Smith, as 22 of the initial 25 students were his players. But others found entry, first FB, then other sports, as well as student managers, frat kids, etc. But the forged grade changes just involved athletes. And the fake classes actually involved five or so other departments beyond AFAM; it's just that Wainstein was directed by UNC to focus only on AFAM. He played UNC by publishing hundreds of incriminating emails as attachments to his report, effectively blindsiding UNC while protecting his professional integrity.
The latest UNC news deals with how the scandal has morphed into a whole new form: once the fake class scandal became public, it seems the FB program initiated a new scam wherein all incoming players were tested and.many classified as having ADD. The 2008 class, as an example, had a 61% rate of ADD diagnosis. This brings a number of benefits such as the student being assigned a "note taker," being given "take home" tests and extended deadlines, etc. In addition, these ADD players were prescribed meds that are akin to PEDs.
The reason the NCAA is taking so long on this is due to the depth and breadth of the original scandal, and due to how UNC has responded to date, denying, deflecting, obfuscating, etc, and spending lots of $ to best position themselves.
The NCAA is now in the "sentencing" phase: the COI has the case now, and they are taking their time and great care to make sure it's rock solid.
The new revelation per the ADD scam is in its infancy and came about as the result of a recent UNC data dump, in response to a public records request. See
www.bluedevilicious.com for more, should this interest you. This new disclosure will gain some public traction/visibility in the coming weeks.
