Free Shoes U. on 4 years probation

[burleytog]

FSU receives four years' probation

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Florida State may have to forfeit some of coach Bobby Bowden's 382 wins and will be on probation for the next four years as part of its punishment for a widespread academic cheating scandal.

The Seminoles will have to give up two scholarships this recruiting season and one the following year. Other sports will lose scholarships and have victories -- including three NCAA national championships in track and field -- threatened.

The NCAA said 61 Florida State athletes cheated on an online test from the fall of 2006 through summer 2007 or received improper help from staffers who provided them with answers to the exam and typed papers for them.

The NCAA said the school must vacate all wins in contests in which athletes involved in the cheating participated. That could involve up to 14 football victories.

Florida State President T.K. Wetherell said the university would consider appealing any efforts to strip it of wins or titles.

"We did not allow anyone who we knew was ineligible to compete," Wetherell said in a statement from the school. "Our position throughout the inquiry was that as soon as we knew of a problem, they didn't play."

The 79-year-old Bowden, who has often stated he wanted to reach 400 wins before calling it a career, was not available to comment on the NCAA report.

The men's basketball program will lose one scholarship for two years and the women's program will be down two for two years. Other programs were hit with fractional reductions.

The cheating took place in football, baseball, softball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's swimming, men's and women's track and field and men's golf.

The committee called the Florida State case "extremely serious" because of the large number of athletes involved, and cited unethical conduct by three former staff members and a failure to monitor by the university.

The cheating occurred mainly through online testing for a single music history course in the fall of 2006 and the spring and summer semesters of 2007. It included staffers helping students on the test and, in one case, asking one athlete to take it for another.

Florida State played in the 2007 Music City Bowl without two dozen players, including several starters. The Seminoles were defeated by Kentucky. Many of the same athletes were held out of the first three games last fall as part of their punishment.

Dennis Thomas, commissioner of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, said the infractions committee didn't consider the venerable Florida State coach when contemplating penalties.

"The committee does not get into whether or not you have a famous athlete or a famous coach or if a record is involved," Thomas said. "The committee adjudicates the facts."

Thomas said the school would decide which athletes were ineligible in which games, in effect determining what games it might have to forfeit.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/football/ncaa/03/06/fsu-probation.ap/index.html

[Sam]

Men's golf?

Come on now, men's golf?

Like who cares abut men's golf?

I hate when this happens.

The University of Alabama is under investigation regarding the distribution of textbooks to some of the football players.

Yes, textbooks.

Like the ones you use in the classroom.

And no money was between the pages.

And the football payers really used them.

I think the NCAA is going nuts on us.  

[tallydude]

There's a reason we call 'em the Criminoles.

[Bassn Blvd]

There's a reason we call 'em the Criminoles.

Yea, but you had to go and move to semanhole territory.

[Bassn Blvd]

Wow! I can't believe college athletes would cheat with their studies.  This is news to me. :

[atx_newbie]

It really bums me out anytime I hear stories like this about FSU.  As a kid, for some reason I was always a really big fan of the 'Noles, before I knew their reputation.  And I still have a lot of respect for Bobby Bowden, but every story like this damages his legacy.

[South FLA]

I actually went there from 92-98, the GOLDEN YEARS!  Great school, but I am not sure what is happening there anymore, I don't know whether its Bowden losing control or the caliber of student athlete they are recruiting.

Its a shame that such a scandal has rocked its athletic programs to the degree they have.  I am not condoning it, but I wonder how many other student athletes throughout the NCAA haven't been caught. I believe since its a high profile program the NCAA  is setting an example.

I guess I am going have to get used to being made fun of by those nice Gator Fans!   I HATE TEBOW, he so d**n straight he makes a ruler look crooked  

[SirSnookalot]

Men's golf?

Come on now, men's golf?

Like who cares abut men's golf?

I do...........Univ of Mich golf 1963- 1967, still have my hickory shafted blades, lol.

[Chris at Tech]

Its a shame that such a scandal has rocked its athletic programs to the degree they have. I am not condoning it, but I wonder how many other student athletes throughout the NCAA haven't been caught. I believe since its a high profile program the NCAA is setting an example.

Ga Tech fan and alumnus here.  And we just got off 4 years probation for a PAPERWORK error for athletes' classes.  Not cheating...we're talking about a FB player taking biology instead of chemistry and it being tracked incorrectly on their transcipt.

If we got 4 years for that, FSU deserves more if the allegations are correct.  And based on the suspension of all those players before the bowl game, it certainly sounds like something fishy is afoot.

Sorry Noles (actually, not really sorry ), take the punishment you deserve

[Olebiker]

Every time I wear an FSU shirt someone comes up to me and wants to talk about sports.  I tell them I could not care less about FSU sports and that I wear the shirt because both of my daughters received their degrees from FSU.  They always look confused.

[Pitchinkid]

I just want to see good football games. Give them steroids, let Poindexter and Louis do all the academics. As much money as a University makes from the football programs, they should be paying them anyways.

[flechero]

Wow! I can't believe college athletes would cheat with their studies.

I bet none of them ever took a "performance enhancing" drug either...  

"Oh, those weren't Flintstones vitamins?"   ;D ;D

[.ghoti.]

It's about time everybody recognized this for what it is.

Major league baseball has a farm team system. It's called the minor leagues.

The NBA and the NFL also have a farm team system. It's called NCAA Division 1.

If it's the sanctity of the sport you're looking for, go to a little league game. Otherwise open your eyes to what you're really seeing.

[fishfordollars]

It's time to start paying them(Leagaly) and get on with the program. I doubt there is a college alive that has a clean program. With the money made by the atheletes they deserve a chance to attend class(sometimes), get the credits, (sometimes), and be paid enough so that they would not have to do things under the table.

[.ghoti.]

It's time to start paying them(Leagaly) and get on with the program. I doubt there is a college alive that has a clean program. With the money made by the atheletes they deserve a chance to attend class(sometimes), get the credits, (sometimes), and be paid enough so that they would not have to do things under the table.

EXACTLY!