rzb+ 367 Posted July 22, 2011 (edited) The NCAA has agreed with Ohio State after the governing body's investigation found that former coach Jim Tressel was the sole school official who knew of infractions by his players, violations he failed to timely report. In a summary of the case sent to Ohio State on Thursday, the NCAA says it did not uncover any new, unreported infractions stemming from a memorabilia-sales scandal that resulted in Tressel's parting with the school. In addition, Ohio State doesn't face the most glaring potential charges: failing to appropriately monitor its football team or loss of institutional control, said the correspondence, first reported by The Columbus Dispatch. "Other than (two redacted player names) and (Ted) Sarniak, there is no indication that Tressel provided or discussed the information he received ... with anyone else, particularly athletics administrators," the NCAA reported in an enforcement staff case summary, according to the Columbus newspaper. The NCAA's probe also covered allegations reported in Sports Illustrated that identified a wider group of additional players as selling Ohio State memorabilia to tattoo-parlor owner Edward Rife, The Dispatch reported. The NCAA interviewed the nine identified athletes in the report but confirmed only one as having dealings with Rife, who faces sentencing on charges of marijuana trafficking. "Considering the institution's rules education and monitoring efforts, the enforcement staff did not believe a failure to monitor charge was appropriate in this case," the NCAA wrote to Ohio State, according to The Dispatch. In spite of a sparkling 106-22 record and winning the 2002 national championship, Tressel was forced to step down May 30 after it became clear that he had knowingly played ineligible players during the 2010 season. Investigators discovered he found out in April 2010 that players were receiving cash and discounted tattoos from the tattoo-parlor owner in exchange for Buckeyes football memorabilia, but he did not report that to his superiors or NCAA compliance officers -- and didn't even acknowledge he had known of the problem until confronted in January. Ohio State, which vacated all 12 victories from the 2010 season -- among them a share of the Big Ten championship and the Allstate Sugar Bowl title -- has issued itself a two-year probation. The university now is now facing an Aug. 12 meeting before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions. In Ohio State's response to the NCAA's allegations against Tressel and the program last week, Tressel said, "I take full responsibility for my mistakes that have led to the ongoing NCAA inquiry and to scrutiny and criticism of the football program." SOURCE: ESPN Hmm... Edited July 22, 2011 by rzb Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
