Hayes Writes About Cooperating With NCAA

It was an article that flew under the radar a few weeks back, but for fans of a program embroiled in an NCAA investigation, it’s worth the read.

Matt Hayes of the Sporting News wrote an article mid-March titled, “Cooperation Is Key To Dodging Major NCAA Wrath” and for those paying attention, ‘cooperation’ has been the name of the game regarding how UM has conducted itself since the Nevin Shapiro scandal broke last August.

Over the following six months, president Donna Shalala and the University of Miami began the process of playing the game – opening the doors at Hecth Athletic Center and welcoming investigators in. UM chose the high road, opening the books, putting it all out there hiding nothing in the process.

Miami rightfully suspended players to start the football season, as well as sitting some basketball stars are crucial times in 2011 and 2012, indirectly costing the Canes a shot at the NCAA Tournament.

In late November, Miami decided to self-impose a bowl ban, which is easier at 6-6 than at 10-2, but still cost the program financially due to lucrative bowl deals that line the pockets of administrators, coaches and the program as a whole.

A month later, the university paid back $83,000 it received “directly and indirectly” from Shapiro. The monies went to bankruptcy trustee, Joel Tabas, who is overseeing an effort to recoup money Shapiro investors lost.

At one point in the process, NCAA president Mark Emmert made a point to commend Shalala and Miami for their cooperation during the investigation, something that doesn’t oft happen during the process.

Hayes went on about the North Carolina investigation and what was learned in the wake of the hammer falling in Chapel Hill.

“Those who assist in the investigation of their own wrongdoing — no matter how awful — will be treated better than those who do everything they can to fight it,” wrote Hayes.

Hayes went on. “The NCAA last week wrapped up a case against North Carolina so disgusting in its depth and breadth of pure cheating (see: impermissible benefits, academic fraud; an assistant coach steering players to agents), the only thing more stunning than the violations was the kid gloves prosecution.

For what one BCS athletic director told me was the worst NCAA case he had seen since SMU in the 1980s, North Carolina was given a one-year postseason ban and a loss of 15 scholarships over three years.”

Hayes draws a correlation between Miami and Southern Cal, comparing USC assistant coach Todd McNair knowing (or the fact he should’ve known) about Reggie Bush and impermissible benefits – and Shapiro doling out what he supposedly did with Hurricane student athletes. The glaring difference? How the Trojans chose to handle the situation, investigation and punishment.

“USC fought its prosecution all the way, even went through an appeal process,” wrote Hayes. “The Trojans were so defiant, they kept McNair—the key figure in the case—employed until after the sanctions were levied against the program.”

Compare that to North Carolina, who fired John Blake (he officially “resigned”) almost immediately, with longtime athletic director Dick Baddour stepping down at the end of the school year. Then-head coach Butch Davis also walked away in the wake of the scandal.

The University of Oregon is also in hot water for allegedly paying a street agent $25K, as well as the conflict of interest with said agent ‘mentoring’ a five-star tailback who signed with Oregon and eventually transferred to Baylor.

Ducks head coach Chip Kelly was involved, supposedly telling the street agent to create some phony recruiting info (to justify the paycheck), but Oregon has kept Kelly and his plausible deniability defense, while setting up a summary disposition case with the NCAA.

What does that mean? According to Hayes, Oregon isn’t disagreeing with the NCAA’s statements about the violations, but isn’t necessarily admitting guilt. “It happened, but we didn’t know it happened,” wrote Hayes in regards to UO’s defense.

Hayes goes on to say because of this, the NCAA will have mercy on Oregon, just like it did North Carolina.

As a Miami fan, one hopes that this current trend of a merciful NCAA continues. The Canes may have broken some rules, but have done an about face, offered a mea culpa and have let investigators call all the shots since the investigation started.

As Hayes finishes, “Welcome to the new NCAA, everyone. The risk isn’t in the cheating. It’s in choosing your defense.”

Hopefully Shalala and UM have chosen wisely. – C.B.

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