Will Florida State and the NCAA see eye-to-eye and make nice?FSU officials and representatives presented the university's appeal before the NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee in Indianapolis Sunday. The Seminoles argued to overturn one penalty handed down earlier by the NCAA in the university's academic-misconduct scandal -- the order to vacate wins in football and nine other sports.
School and NCAA officials worked together to investigate the claims and concluded with a deal that FSU believed would solve eligibility questions of athletes involved. But the NCAA Committee's punishment could cost football coach Bobby Bowden 14 victories and the men's 2007 track team its outdoor national championship.
Read the PDF Attachment:
Chain Reaction of Unprecedented Steps in Florida State's NCAA Case
Chain Reaction of Unprecedented Steps in Florida State's NCAA Case
"Florida State University will not comment at this time, except to restate what has already been said several times publicly," said attorney William (Bill) E. Williams, who presented the schools' appeal.
"The documentation of that understanding can be seen at a glance in the attached Chain Reaction of Unprecedented Steps in Florida State's NCAA Case."
The five-member Infractions Appeals Committee typically takes more than a month to decide a case. However, with the holidays approaching, FSU might not hear a yay or nay until early next year.
FSU President T.K. Wetherell has loudly and publicly criticized the NCAA's plan to strip coaches and athletes of wins in 10 sports.
Wetherell has repeatedly contended there was an agreement between the NCAA and FSU on student-athlete eligibility, and student-athletes gave up their academic due process rights in accepting the plan.
The case involved 61 student-athletes and three former FSU employees and largely centered on a tutor providing answers to quizzes for an online music course.
The NCAA has denied any deal was struck.
Bowden told the media on Saturday that he doesn't expect good news."I've got no idea what'll happen,'' Bowden said after his team's win at Wake Forest.
"I don't hear much hope. I don't hear anybody saying we're going to make it. I don't hear anybody saying that. I think they're [the NCAA] making a mistake... We'll see what they're going to do."
If FSU wins, the Infractions Appeals Committee could hand the case back to the Committee on Infractions, which has said the scholarship reductions would have been "more stringent" were it not for the vacating-of-wins penalty.
If FSU loses, there could be lawsuits.
Wetherell has mentioned potential issues, including that athletes gave up their due-process rights by agreeing to a deal that was portrayed to them as a one-shot solution.
Comments (Page 1 of 1)
It's obvious this is totally about Bowden getting to claim (or at least a chance) the career victories of all-time.
This doesn't change the outcome of games - will the teams that lost get bragging rights? No. The record books and stats will show FSU won.
Also, if this was some other coach at any other school or even some other FSU coach (not Bobby at the helm), then it would have been laid to rest A LONG TIME AGO. They would have accepted the NCAA's punishment and moved on.
This is totally and only about Bobby getting credit. Period.
Yes, the wins, by athletes on the field were real. But we are talking about the "process" by which FSU got those wins. Coddling prima donna athletes with no-brainer classes, allowing them to major in silly stuff like "general studies" and "sports administration". I say, don't punish the athletes, but punish the school. FSU cheated, or looked the other way, and now that they've been caught they are crying "poor me", or don't tarnish good ole Bobby. It was Bobby who condoned the academic travesties of recruiting high school students who probably didn't even deserve a high school diploma, and then agreeing to or ignoring that tutors and perks were being provided to his athletes that the average student would never see. FSU, scholar-athletes? You shouldn't use the word scholar. What a sham. Take the 14 w's off the board. Bowden - go fishing since you've become a only figurehead anyway.
Wetherell doesn't care about FSU.
He only cares about his idol, Bowden
Wetherell will spend whatever amount of FSU money it takes.
Doesn't matter.
If Paterno retired today and Bowden passed him at year's end for the all-time wins title, Wetherell would drop the appeal and Bowden would retire.
It isn't about FSU, the alumni or the football team.
It's all about Bobby Bowden and that's all that matters.
FSU will finish 6-6 in '09 and their 2010 recruiting season will be horrible, leading to another 6-6 record in '10.
Doesn't matter.
It's all about Bowden.
It's all about Wetherell's worship of Bowden.
6-6, 6-6, 6-6 forever.
Good Luck, 'Noles.
This is a case about loss of institutional control. Employees of the Athletic department gave answers to a test to over50 athelets so they could pass a course. Come on folks, dad gum.Oh by the way Bobby the Sanford wins dont count.
Bobby is selfish to the point of destroying the entire FSU football legacy and his own legacy. He needs to do what is right for the program, and players and GO> It is pathetic is see football "heroes" stay way past their prime (and mediocreness)and fade to football "zeros".