Oklahoma State’s response to allegations of wrongdoing in the football program so far seems appropriate and what one would expect.
Sports Illustrated is planning a series of articles detailing a pattern of NCAA violations within the OSU football program.
So far, OSU’s response has been to wait and see the details of the report.
Then, Oklahoma State athletic director Mike Holder pledged to “separate fact from fiction”.
Holder said privately on Saturday, and repeated on Monday, that OSU will hired a private investigation firm to deal with the allegations.
He also said he’s notified the NCAA and expects an NCAA investigator on campus within days.
A number of OSU sources are saying the stories range from pay for play, academic fraud, sex with recruits and other allegations.
And, OSU officials are privately telling some media to “expect the worst”.
However, no one knows how many if any will link OSU coach Mike Gundy to allegations.
OSU officials are saying many of the allegations are linked to current LSU coach Les Miles, the former OSU coach, and former OSU assistant Joe DeForest, now an assistant at West Virginia.
Both Miles and DeForest are denying any violations while at OSU. A number of former OSU players from the era when the allegations are reported to have occurred are also denying any knowledge of violations.
This is expected to be a long and complicated process. An NCAA investigation of Miami football has gone on for three years with allegations of misconduct in the investigation.
Holder, speaking in public for the first time about the issues, seemed to indicate OSU was eager to deal with the allegations. However, he has privately said he knows these type of investigations can sometimes take years to resolve.
This is what we know. OSU will be “drug through the mud” in the articles. An NCAA investigation will get underway almost immediately.
Where that investigation goes, how much of it is truth or hearsay, we have no idea.
But, no doubt it will be an unpleasant few weeks in Stillwater.
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