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| Throwing down the hammer. Seriously. |
Athletic Director Gene Smith said previously that while Ohio State has been declared a repeat violator that failed to properly monitor its football program, a bowl ban would be out of line with penalties handed to universities with similar violations.
In its ruling to be made public this afternoon, the NCAA Committee of Infractions will levy the bowl ban and two other penalties on top of the ones the university already imposed on itself, the sources said. The NCAA will:
- Strip four more football scholarships over the next three years on top of Ohio State’s prior forfeiture of five scholarships over that span.
- Add an additional year of probation to OSU’s self-imposed two-year probation for the football program, meaning any violations through the 2013 season could draw harsher-than-normal penalties.
If you haven't figured this out on your own, Gene Smith could probably have avoided this by simply banning Ohio State from the postseason THIS year. Instead, the juniors on this team, which include John Simon, Jake Stoneburner and more, won't be able to play in a bowl game if they come back for their senior season.
Update 3:00 PM: The NCAA has released it's official statement on the Ohio State penalties.
Update 3:15 PM: Gene Smith releases his official statement in response to the NCAA Penalties.
"We have decided not to appeal the decision because we need to move forward as an institution. We recognize that this is a challenging time in intercollegiate athletics. Institutions of higher education must move to higher ground, and Ohio State embraces its leadership responsibilities and affirms its long-standing commitment to excellence in education and integrity in all it does."
Keep checking Inside The Shoe for the latest updates on the NCAA Ruling, and Ohio State news.
