A Raleigh N&O editorial from yesterday sparked a reply that cuts through UNC's continuing PR nonsense, this published on the same day the the NC State House & Senate formally honored the "life and legacy" of the late Dean Smith during a legislative session.
The editorial, itself, plays on much "past tense" references, indicating, it, too, may be part of the school's PR agenda, to "move forward" without full disclosure and accountability, i.e. the role of higher-level administrators, staff/faculty, and boosters, and the true ORIGINS of the scandal.
By the way, today is the day that the Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is supposed to address the impact of the "academic" element of the UNC scandal on the school's accreditation status. More on that soon.
The N&O editorial and response is below and online at: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article23538064.html
UNC-CH must address culture that led to NCAA charges
Though the NCAA huffs and puffs about rule-breakers, its “penalties” never have amounted to much: lost scholarships, perhaps a probation, a temporary ban on post-season play. The truth is, neither the organization nor its member schools care much for punishment. People make mistakes. Uh, oh. Oh, golly, we’re sorry. They didn’t mean it. We don’t want to hurt the kids.
But in the case of perhaps the worst scandal in college sports history, the athletics-academics disgrace at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with “paper class” shenanigans dating back 20 years, the NCAA has itself a real problem. The organization has released its notice of allegations and has used the term “lack of institutional control” as pertaining to the UNC program. That’s supposedly one of the most serious accusations the NCAA can make. Now the university will respond, and sometime around March of next year the NCAA will determine sanctions, if any, against the athletics program.
Those schools that have been punished in the past, losing face and money (no post-season bowl bonanzas, for example), are surely saying to the NCAA: You brought the hammer down on us for doing far less than the “Carolina Way” crowd did. So we are watching.
Athletes exploited
Indeed, despite the university’s obfuscation and attempts to keep the lid on years of phony classes and academic advisers steering athletes to courses designed to keep them eligible but hardly to advance them toward a degree, this four-year saga has been and remains an embarrassment. The reporting of The News & Observer’s Dan Kane and a $3 million investigation by Washington attorney Kenneth Wainstein confirmed the worst, a long-running exploitation of athletes who were just that and not in fact “student-athletes” all universities talk about.
The university’s response will be interesting. At this point, with Wainstein’s having confirmed virtually all of the reporting by Kane, UNC-CH surely won’t try to defend the indefensible.
But it may very well make an argument that has been made by other schools facing potential sanctions: Yes, there were problems, but all the people involved are gone. Why punish athletes who weren’t part of the problem or deny scholarships to those dreaming of college careers who now are in high school?
A culture problem
It’s quite true that in the course of UNC’s scandal, a chancellor left and an athletics director retired. And the athletes in those phony classes are no longer on campus. Yes, current Chancellor Carol Folt wasn’t ruling the roost while the scandal was in progress, and Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham wasn’t in charge.
But this great university had a shocking, inexcusable and almost institutionalized culture of exploitation going on that brought shame on the university’s reputation, and not just its athletics reputation.
If the NCAA brings forth a weak-kneed punishment, its other members are going to react strongly and may even take the organization apart. But if it really comes down hard on UNC-Chapel Hill, it’s going to mess with a key ingredient of member schools of the Atlantic Coast Conference, for example, sharing in hundreds of millions of dollars over a multi-year period.
Money may, in fact, be a major factor in any determination of punishment. Universities enjoying the huge stadiums, the luxurious booster perks, the bowl trips, the television deals have made themselves prisoners of the dollar. Many new presidents have found out quickly that they can’t touch the athletics program at any schools because too much money is involved. The university’s “brand” is sold to apparel companies. Football and basketball teams become for some a university’s sole identity.
UNC-Chapel Hill is more, much more, than its athletics program, and the vast majority of alums know it. The question is whether the NCAA’s punishments will be a lesson, albeit a painful one, or merely a temporary slow-down on the way back to the status quo.
_______________________________________
McGillicutty's response, as follows....
Francis McGillicutty · Top Commenter · Works at Independantly wealthy
“The university’s response will be interesting. At this point, with Wainstein’s having confirmed virtually all of the reporting by Kane, UNC-CH surely won’t try to defend the indefensible.”
The University’s response is far from changing the culture…it’s just the opposite; UNC is looking to extend Roy Williams contract. That’s right, the person who benefitted the most far and away from all the cheating is still standing despite so many underlings getting fired and he’s getting an extension…likely included in that is a raise. Check Roy’s current contract and the previous one from his original hire; there is a clause that pays him 1 month’s salary as a bonus if his players have a graduation rate equal to the general student body…81% is the current number (according to US News & World Report). If he “earned” this bonus every year since his initial hire in 2003 (and let’s face it, his teams have easily eclipsed 81% with a lot of help) he’s been paid $108K-$144K each year for 12 years as a BONUS. Aggregate academic excellence bonus paid over this period is ~$1.3-$1.7MM…BONUS…the highest paid public employee in the state of NC who already makes close to $2MM annually was also paid more than most every other state employee makes in a year as his BONUS…achieved through GROSS ACADEMIC FRAUD. The cheating scandal was the primary vehicle that took academic exceptions and pulled them to a graduation rate likely much higher than the regular student population. Why is nobody with the SBI or state treasury looking into this? If any other contractor was to have cheated and it got them in excess of $1MM, they would be in handcuffs and under investigation right now….this crook is getting a Contract Extension! How outrageous is that!
The “Culture” you speak of is so obvious, but the elephant in the room nobody wants to address is UNC’s pride on the basketball court. Through savvy marketing, helped by ESPN, Nike & Jordan brand UNC has become one of the top college sports brands and it’s all focused on the Banners…4 “legit” and pathetically the 5th (hard not to laugh here) Helms Mythical National Championship despite a championship game never played…just self-anointed to try and keep up with Duke. UNC has exchanged its academic reputation and that of the great state of North Carolina for elite basketball status. If you want to take back the university and change the culture, cut the head off the snake (literally and figuratively) and fire Roy Williams, hire an ethical coach and allow an outside entity such as the Drake Group to run compliance. All I see is a 5 years of embarrassment, corruption, offering small fish to let bigger ones off the hook and desperate Hail Mary from the administration to keep Roy in place and remain competitive in basketball. Hell, UNC redacted the Wainstein Report and the NCAA NOA to scrub "Men’s Basketball" and "Roy Williams" from it because they can…Roy is NOT a student protected by FERPA, rather the biggest rotten apple in the entire barrel. Change the culture? Start with firing Williams, making him pay restitution back to the state for the academic bonus money he STOLE , then work on rebuilding your reputation through tangible acts, not smoke and mirrors nobody is buying.
The editorial, itself, plays on much "past tense" references, indicating, it, too, may be part of the school's PR agenda, to "move forward" without full disclosure and accountability, i.e. the role of higher-level administrators, staff/faculty, and boosters, and the true ORIGINS of the scandal.
By the way, today is the day that the Southeastern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) is supposed to address the impact of the "academic" element of the UNC scandal on the school's accreditation status. More on that soon.
The N&O editorial and response is below and online at: http://www.newsobserver.com/opinion/editorials/article23538064.html
UNC-CH must address culture that led to NCAA charges
Though the NCAA huffs and puffs about rule-breakers, its “penalties” never have amounted to much: lost scholarships, perhaps a probation, a temporary ban on post-season play. The truth is, neither the organization nor its member schools care much for punishment. People make mistakes. Uh, oh. Oh, golly, we’re sorry. They didn’t mean it. We don’t want to hurt the kids.
But in the case of perhaps the worst scandal in college sports history, the athletics-academics disgrace at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with “paper class” shenanigans dating back 20 years, the NCAA has itself a real problem. The organization has released its notice of allegations and has used the term “lack of institutional control” as pertaining to the UNC program. That’s supposedly one of the most serious accusations the NCAA can make. Now the university will respond, and sometime around March of next year the NCAA will determine sanctions, if any, against the athletics program.
Those schools that have been punished in the past, losing face and money (no post-season bowl bonanzas, for example), are surely saying to the NCAA: You brought the hammer down on us for doing far less than the “Carolina Way” crowd did. So we are watching.
Athletes exploited
Indeed, despite the university’s obfuscation and attempts to keep the lid on years of phony classes and academic advisers steering athletes to courses designed to keep them eligible but hardly to advance them toward a degree, this four-year saga has been and remains an embarrassment. The reporting of The News & Observer’s Dan Kane and a $3 million investigation by Washington attorney Kenneth Wainstein confirmed the worst, a long-running exploitation of athletes who were just that and not in fact “student-athletes” all universities talk about.
The university’s response will be interesting. At this point, with Wainstein’s having confirmed virtually all of the reporting by Kane, UNC-CH surely won’t try to defend the indefensible.
But it may very well make an argument that has been made by other schools facing potential sanctions: Yes, there were problems, but all the people involved are gone. Why punish athletes who weren’t part of the problem or deny scholarships to those dreaming of college careers who now are in high school?
A culture problem
It’s quite true that in the course of UNC’s scandal, a chancellor left and an athletics director retired. And the athletes in those phony classes are no longer on campus. Yes, current Chancellor Carol Folt wasn’t ruling the roost while the scandal was in progress, and Athletics Director Bubba Cunningham wasn’t in charge.
But this great university had a shocking, inexcusable and almost institutionalized culture of exploitation going on that brought shame on the university’s reputation, and not just its athletics reputation.
If the NCAA brings forth a weak-kneed punishment, its other members are going to react strongly and may even take the organization apart. But if it really comes down hard on UNC-Chapel Hill, it’s going to mess with a key ingredient of member schools of the Atlantic Coast Conference, for example, sharing in hundreds of millions of dollars over a multi-year period.
Money may, in fact, be a major factor in any determination of punishment. Universities enjoying the huge stadiums, the luxurious booster perks, the bowl trips, the television deals have made themselves prisoners of the dollar. Many new presidents have found out quickly that they can’t touch the athletics program at any schools because too much money is involved. The university’s “brand” is sold to apparel companies. Football and basketball teams become for some a university’s sole identity.
UNC-Chapel Hill is more, much more, than its athletics program, and the vast majority of alums know it. The question is whether the NCAA’s punishments will be a lesson, albeit a painful one, or merely a temporary slow-down on the way back to the status quo.
_______________________________________
McGillicutty's response, as follows....
Francis McGillicutty · Top Commenter · Works at Independantly wealthy
“The university’s response will be interesting. At this point, with Wainstein’s having confirmed virtually all of the reporting by Kane, UNC-CH surely won’t try to defend the indefensible.”
The University’s response is far from changing the culture…it’s just the opposite; UNC is looking to extend Roy Williams contract. That’s right, the person who benefitted the most far and away from all the cheating is still standing despite so many underlings getting fired and he’s getting an extension…likely included in that is a raise. Check Roy’s current contract and the previous one from his original hire; there is a clause that pays him 1 month’s salary as a bonus if his players have a graduation rate equal to the general student body…81% is the current number (according to US News & World Report). If he “earned” this bonus every year since his initial hire in 2003 (and let’s face it, his teams have easily eclipsed 81% with a lot of help) he’s been paid $108K-$144K each year for 12 years as a BONUS. Aggregate academic excellence bonus paid over this period is ~$1.3-$1.7MM…BONUS…the highest paid public employee in the state of NC who already makes close to $2MM annually was also paid more than most every other state employee makes in a year as his BONUS…achieved through GROSS ACADEMIC FRAUD. The cheating scandal was the primary vehicle that took academic exceptions and pulled them to a graduation rate likely much higher than the regular student population. Why is nobody with the SBI or state treasury looking into this? If any other contractor was to have cheated and it got them in excess of $1MM, they would be in handcuffs and under investigation right now….this crook is getting a Contract Extension! How outrageous is that!
The “Culture” you speak of is so obvious, but the elephant in the room nobody wants to address is UNC’s pride on the basketball court. Through savvy marketing, helped by ESPN, Nike & Jordan brand UNC has become one of the top college sports brands and it’s all focused on the Banners…4 “legit” and pathetically the 5th (hard not to laugh here) Helms Mythical National Championship despite a championship game never played…just self-anointed to try and keep up with Duke. UNC has exchanged its academic reputation and that of the great state of North Carolina for elite basketball status. If you want to take back the university and change the culture, cut the head off the snake (literally and figuratively) and fire Roy Williams, hire an ethical coach and allow an outside entity such as the Drake Group to run compliance. All I see is a 5 years of embarrassment, corruption, offering small fish to let bigger ones off the hook and desperate Hail Mary from the administration to keep Roy in place and remain competitive in basketball. Hell, UNC redacted the Wainstein Report and the NCAA NOA to scrub "Men’s Basketball" and "Roy Williams" from it because they can…Roy is NOT a student protected by FERPA, rather the biggest rotten apple in the entire barrel. Change the culture? Start with firing Williams, making him pay restitution back to the state for the academic bonus money he STOLE , then work on rebuilding your reputation through tangible acts, not smoke and mirrors nobody is buying.
