One day after beating South Florida and becoming bowl eligible, the Miami Hurricanes have officially declined to go bowling in 2011, self-imposing a bowl ban this post-season in the wake of an NCAA investigation. The university released the following statement Sunday morning:
The University of Miami has made the decision to withhold the UM football team from bowl consideration following the 2011 regular season in response to the ongoing NCAA inquiry and has informed both the NCAA and the Atlantic Coast Conference of its decision.
We understand and share the disappointment that our student-athletes, coaches, staff, supporters and fans are feeling but after lengthy discussions among University leaders, athletic administrators and outside counsel, it is a necessary step for our University. The University of Miami has not self-imposed any other penalties.
The team was informed of the decision earlier today and is in preparations for their final game of the season.
As we stated in August, the University of Miami maintains the highest standards in our academic and athletic endeavors and we will remain steadfast in our commitment to building winning programs with the utmost of integrity. We will be more vigilant in our compliance efforts and continue to work cooperatively with the NCAA on the joint inquiry to determine the true facts.
To continue to protect the integrity of the inquiry, the University will not comment further at this time.
For the seniors, you hate the fact that something earned is being taken. In the same breath, a lower-tier, late-December bowl game to celebrate a 7-5 ot 6-6 season – or taking one on the chin today instead of tomorrow seems prudent.
Miami is attempting to get out in front of the situation, giving up a bowl game in good faith, in hopes of reduced penalties in the future. Much easier to do as a five- or six-loss squad than sitting here with two or three losses in 2011.
More to come.
It does seem like a logical decision; however, does the NCAA truly take note of that…..or do they just proceed without acknowledging it??? I hear the NCAA doesn’t really like us.
For the seniors, we need a great supporting crowd at Sun Life on Friday night. I’m making sure i get down there to see these seniors play there last game in the orange and green. They haven’t lived up to their hype but i think we will remember them as Great Canes. So i ask that we dont have a empty house on Friday, Please
Self imposing this bowl ban is a good idea; for one it shows that the program is willing to work with the NCAA investigators and shows that they know there was wrong doing and have nothing to hide; second it allows AL Golden permission to recruit thru the bowl season (one the of the only benefits from not having to prepare for a bowl game). Finally this will hopefully put the NCAA on notice that the program is willing to do what ever it takes to correct and resolve the past issues but the program needs some finality to all of this.
With wins over Bethune Cookman, OSU, UNC, GT, Duke and USF, this team never deserved to go to a bowl game. It was a pathetic season in which the team never got better. Rewarding players for mediocrity is NOT the way to go. Good job on canceling the bowl, even if it wasn’t for crappy play all year.
I strongly disagree with the decison, what should have happen in the beginning the selfish players like spence, harris and all the others should have been kicked off the team and King donna should have stepped down, then maybe the NCAA would have thought the U was self imposing something. This whole program has been a joke from the top leadership for a long time, I feel sorry for the kids on the team who acted like men and didnt violate the rules, coach golden and his staff and the fans who invest money heart and soul in this program. Its a real shame to see what has happen here at a once proud football program.
You lost me at “Donna Shalala should’ve stepped down”. What that woman has done for the university is unparalleled.
As for this “once proud football program”, safe to say that in light of what’s going on at Penn State and what has happened at other schools around the country, the Shapiro-related issues pale in comparison. Only difference her is this jaded individual spoke out – but if you don’t think that and MORE is happening at Ohio State, Florida, Texas, LSU, Alabama, et al – then your head is in the sand.
Furthermore, had Harris, Spence and all the others been kicked off the team, Miami wouldn’t have sniffed 6-5 and we wouldn’t even be talking about sitting out a self-imposed bowl ban this season. Canes would be 2-9 and home for the holidays, regardless.
I honestly think it is probably a good idea to do, and be proactive, but I still have mixed emotions. I really wonder what Golden thinks about the decision, and if this along with the fact of him not being told about the issue prior to taking the job will in some way make him look around. I think taking this is probably a smart thing to do, but I think we will probably get hit for some scholarships as well in the end. I wonder what the NCAA will decide and when. They still haven’t even finished with OSU yet, and somehow found no wrongdoing with Auburn, so who knows what to expect really. Arbitrary,
The only thing I don’t like about it is the fact that we’ll essentially be giving up an extra few weeks worth of practice for the guys returning next season.
… true, Cat 5, but the tradeoff is that Golden can not only go out to recruit – he can also tell recruits that a bowl game was given up prior to their arrival and that they most likely won’t miss a bowl in their time at UM.
Furthermore, do a few weeks of practice in December 2011 with guys who will be gone next spring and fall really make a huge difference? Maybe. But it’s hard to believe that come September 2012 that kids will be retaining anything from a few weeks of practice in December 2011.
While the benefits waiting for a bowl suspension don’t outweigh the the benefits of voluntarily missing out on a bowl, I do feel that getting the up & comers a few extra weeks of time in full contact with the coaches could be benficial towards future prep toward the spring/fall along with the experience in Golden’s bowl prep process and routine. Especially, to keep it much shorter the first time around so the kids aren’t jumping blindly into the nearly 5 week gap that will accompany our BCS CG bowl bid next year.
… the extra practices would help. Of course. That said, better to lose a bowl after the 2011 season than 2012. Take it on the chin now, hope for lesser punishment when the NCAA rules down, spend December recruiting and explain to future Canes that they most-likely won’t be missing a bowl game after signing in February 2012.
Also, the fact that Miami didn’t self-impose any scholarship reductions is a good thing in the grand scheme of thing. Back in 1995 the school self-imposed to start the process. That didn’t happen this time, which could bode well.
I concur with this decision so long as the NCAA looks at it in the same light as “time served”. If it buys us a year down the line on a shortened bowl ban, than it’s well worth it. certainly it sucks for the seniors. I guess this goes to sacrificing for the greater good. As you stated, we would only be going to a low level bowl at best. This is no significant loss in the big scheme of things. Let’s just go out and beat BC, get the NCAA issues resolved and move forward. There’s a lot of hope (assuming Coach Golden doesn’t bolt) for the first time in years.
giving up the tutti-fruity lolleypop bowl is not a big deal. The school loses the expense money (which some times is a profit but most times is a loss), but the balance (if any) goes into the ACC pool to be distribued anyways.
Lets hope that Golden uses the extra month to do some honest to goodness recruiting (not the golf cart type) and can convince some BIG HUGE PA linesmen and passing (not scramble ball) west coast NFL-style backs (QB) to come to the U.
i didn’t know we bent over and took it from the ncaa. this just adds to my shit list about coach golden. he clearly didn’t fight hard enough, if even at all to try to get these seniors who have gotten all the younger guys to buy into goldens especially the defense that has bought into a broken play scared plan. These seniors deserve the bowl game. Its crap that they don’t have it.
But what can we expect golden has played it safe all year. Allowed buchanon to come back because he knew he had to have him on his defense. Johnson is kicked off the team where is his second chance? Doesn’t use Byrd, unless its to block on run plays. Its gonna be sad when byrd is picked up and becomes a solid receiver in the nfl. Shuffles around a solid offensive line and takes it from being a strength to a question mark. Allows armstrong and vernon to come back this year, once again where is aldarius johnsons second chance? Armstrong gets in “trouble” and he holds him out of the biggest game on our schedule? i love jo jo but he is no ray ray. And then when its proven that he did nothing wrong a week later he is allowed to come back and play against south florida. So i see the old coaching staff again playing favorites and fuck whoever is the one that is getting the favorites to buy into your crap.
I wanted to believe in coach golden i wanted to believe in his golden plan but i’m sorry screwing the guys who get everyone into your plan and playing favorites is exactly how we got here and its exactly where we are gonna stay. Sorry canes fans there is no other way to put it. Until they bring in a guy who will not play favorites we will stay exactly where we are.
Disagree again, DSCOTT.
First off, you don’t understand a thing about chain of command if you’re putting this on Al Golden. This is the president and athletic director making this call. Shalala and Eichorst informed Golden and the team Sunday that they’d sit out a bowl — which is why both players and coaches were excited Saturday when becoming bowl eligible.
Second, these seniors don’t “deserve” a bowl game. Not at 6-5, which is the bare minimum to reach the post-season. Back in the day six-win teams weren’t rewarded. Since then dozens of bowl games were added to increase revenue, which is why middle-of-the road teams go bowling.
Furthermore, this Shapiro scandal implicated many seniors — Jacory Harris, Travis Benjamin, Sean Spence, Marcus Forston — and that absolutely had an impact on how this season went, serving as a big-time distraction as the season kicked off. While it’s a bum out, let’s be honest that no tears should be shed. If this team finished 10-2 instead of 7-5 or 6-6, bet your ass there’d be no bowl forfeit. But sitting just above .500, you absolutely take it on the chin now – in good faith for the NCAA investigation-sake, as well as the future of the program.
Going into this weekend’s match up with Boston College this senior class sits at 29-21 and is 0-3 in bowl games. They’ve had their chance to win games, make a difference and to take care of business and simply hadn’t.
As for your other assumptions and allegations, you’re again off-base. No one knows the Aldarius Johnson situation, and again, if rumors are true that he was withholding information or wasn’t cooperating with the NCAA, you absolutely hold him out. As for Ray-Ray Armstrong, again, Tweeting about fancy dinners with the owner of a PR firm the Sunday before Florida State weekend – you deserve to be suspended for the game.
The program is bigger than any one player and right now there is nothing more important than working with the NCAA to put this investigation and any looming trouble in the rearview. Period. End of story. Playing favorites? You have no clue what you’re talking about.
Thank You Admin: After reading his post I was about to say the same thing you did so you saved me the typing. One point I’d like to add is this; did we really miss Ray-Ray during FSU? Talk about a disappointment? Only thing that makes him fun to watch is the fact that we ge to see #26 in the secondary again. Other than that?!?!?!?!?! Exactly!
BBurgCane – Ray-Ray definitely has dropped the ball overall this year, but he could’ve helped against Florida State, I would think. The play where Telemaque was out and Rodgers pulled up on the touchdown pass, you have to think that the Canes would’ve been better off with No. 26 in, instead of No. 22.
But to your point, yes, there hasn’t been a huge dropoff as overall Ray-Ray hasn’t had a stellar year. He would’ve helped with depth, but that’s about it.
I hope we still have Preston Dewey!!!
Sad at the decision but it’s necessary. It removes some ambiguity during recruiting for golden and staff. USC didn’t get punished harshly for what they did, they got punished for obstructing the investigation at every turn. In response the NCAA handed down a harsh punishment. Miami is doing the exact opposite and I believe we will be pleasantly surprised with the results of our cooperation by the NCAA. One last thing now that the NCAA is investigating PSU, where are all the pundints calling for the death penalty for PSU? That situation is greater than football but I just wanted to show the hypocrisy of sports casters and analysts.
On another note I noticed something interesting while watching ESPNs show about Miami’s football team. When al golden shows the players the video of march of the penguins and (I forgot which player) one of the players says they were used to watching movies like 300, etc. it was one final proof of the lack of (football) mental development that was done over the last 4+ years. It shows the game was not approached from all it’s facets and simple physical ability was the only asset players were measured by. It goes to show the sophistication of coach golden. I found that interesting and thought I would share in case someone didn’t see the show.