READ TODAY'S STORIES AND E-EDITION SUBSCRIBE |  CONTACT US |  SIGN IN
Sports Extra!



SPORTS EXTRA BLOGS

FOR THE RECORD
LOCAL PROS

ALL SPORTS

PHOTOS & VIDEOS

OUTDOORS

FIND A STORY

EMAIL ALERTS

SOCIAL MEDIA

RSS FEEDS

CONTACT US
BUY PHOTOS & PAGES

ADVERTISE ON SPORTS EXTRA


Print story only Print story with comments Email Twitter Facebook Pinterest
NCAA Rules are for Everyone
Published: 6/11/2009 1:54 PM
Last Modified: 6/11/2009 1:54 PM

Recent headlines indicate the NCAA rules, of which there are far too many, do indeed apply to everyone.
Alabama and USC, two of the most magical names in college football, are in trouble over possible violations.
The fact that no one seems to be acting like this is no big deal means the NCAA rules have some teeth.
The NCAA is far from perfect. And, many of the rules are just foolish.
However, the fact that Bama and USC are taking these allegations seriously means the NCAA still has clout. It means the big powerful schools are not immune to the rules.
Since SMU got the so-called "death penalty" in the 1980s for NCAA rules violations, there has always been an assumption that there are different rules for the haves and have-nots.
Not true.
The rules apply to everyone. And, the fact that there is not widespread cheating like there was back in the 1980s is a tribute to NCAA member schools taking some responsibility for their actions.



Reader Comments 5 Total
BLA (4 years ago)
Maybe the rules apply to everyone, but the same punishments do not. We saw that with OU and Indiana and out of control coaches and lack of administrative control charges. Probation is a slap on the wrist and everyone knows it. The fact is those programs with the egregiousness of the charges (recruiting and paying athletes via boosters) are considered "major" violations. If found guilty, sanctions short of a post-season ban are noted and passed over. What is going to happen when these football and basketball factories (Duke, UNC, Florida, OU) start falling below the NCAA's academic progress minimums and start losing scholarships? Nothing. The NCAA will change the rules again...I mean why should those programs be penalized for being nothing more than an NBA or NFL developmental program?

When sanctions become harsh, programs will clean themselves up. Who wants to be the next SMU? No one does, BUT until someone does become the next SMU, schools and coaches and boosters will continue to cheat.
Deep In The Heart (4 years ago)
BLA, I agree with you except on one point:
Duke and UNC have highly respected academic programs, and Florida also stays highly ranked academically. OU, however, fell out of the Top 100 this year. Pitiful!
MexiMike (4 years ago)
The NCAA has teeth? Maybe. But all they are doing are showing their teeth. They won't actually use them on any of these highly touted programs.

Probations? Striking wins away from the recordbooks? Limiting scholarships? Please.

These are all BARELY slaps on the wrists. If a program can still make BCS bowls for years to come then how was that team actually punished? Isn't the whole point of a sanction to cause some sort of consequence to the team it is set against?

If the teams continue to have success despite these NCAA "teeth" locking down, then what's the point?
BLA (4 years ago)
Deep in the Heart, I know Duke and UNC are well-respected academic institutions, but the academic progress rate measures graduation rates and things like transfers, flunk-outs, going pro early are supposed to negatively impact a school's APR. It actually gives student athletes 6 years to graduate and it was made part of the APR to dissuade coaches from going after the 1 and done's. My point was that Duke and UNC have a great number of players who leave school early (in basketball) and how do the APR's stay above the required level and still not lose any scholarships. The NCAA instituted other rules which they waived b/c Duke and UNC were routinely having to break them (the 5/8 rule which stated a basketball program could only sign 5 players in 1 year and 8 over a 2 year period). What teams and coaches don't realize is that the NCAA has the leverage to keep players in school...i.e. really hammer the schools that go after the one and done's...hit them with the scholarship limitations, etc. You will end up avoiding those players to get players that will stay for 3-4 years. Who wants to end up like Maurice Clarett and Mike Williams who sit out rather than play another year in college, and now are selling used cars or insurance somewhere rather than raking in NFL millions.
Stiffler's an Idiot (4 years ago)
What world are you living in, John? Maybe no one is paying attention because they know USC and Alabama will get the same laughable treatment OU received. All that harsh punishment over the last 50 years has really slowed down the gooners cheating.....sarcasm.
5 comments displayed


To post comments on tulsaworld.com, you must be an active Tulsa World print or digital subscriber and signed into your account.


Klein's Korner

Tulsa World senior sports columnist John Klein is in his fourth decade of covering sports. He started his newspaper career at The Daily Ardmoreite in 1977 and moved to the Tulsa World in 1978. He served 10 years as sports editor for the Tulsa World before being named to his current position in 2005. He also spent five years as the Southwest Conference beat writer for the Houston Post. He has won many writing awards and is a former Oklahoma Sports Writer of the Year.

Follow John Klein on Twitter

Subscribe to this blog



Archive

 
John Klein's Blog Archive:

2/2013  1/2013  12/2012  11/2012  10/2012  9/2012  
8/2012  7/2012  6/2012  5/2012  4/2012  3/2012  
2/2012  1/2012  12/2011  11/2011  10/2011  9/2011  
8/2011  7/2011  6/2011  5/2011  4/2011  3/2011  
2/2011  1/2011  12/2010  11/2010  10/2010  9/2010  
8/2010  7/2010  6/2010  5/2010  4/2010  3/2010  
2/2010  1/2010  12/2009  11/2009  10/2009  9/2009  
8/2009  7/2009  6/2009  5/2009  4/2009  3/2009  
2/2009  1/2009  12/2008  11/2008  10/2008  9/2008  
8/2008  7/2008  6/2008  5/2008  4/2008  3/2008  
2/2008  1/2008  12/2007  11/2007  10/2007  9/2007  
8/2007  7/2007  6/2007  5/2007  4/2007  3/2007  
2/2007  1/2007  12/2006  11/2006  10/2006  9/2006  
8/2006  





Home | Contact Us | Search | Subscribe | Customer Service | About | Advertise
Copyright © 2013, World Publishing Co. All rights reserved.