Lost in the National Letter of Intent Day madness on Wednesday was the NCAA’s decision to place the University of Nebraska athletic program on probation.
In July, the Husker athletic department announced that it was self-imposing a two-year probationary period due to student-athletes unknowingly gaining benefits from recommended course textbooks they had received in addition to their required books.
On Wednesday the NCAA accepted Nebraska’s proposed penalties that also include a $38,000 dollar fine that will be donated the local charities in addition to the two years probation.
The Huskers may have had its share of student-athletes run afoul with the law but being on probation is a stigma that has never been in association with Nebraska.
Then again, this rule is a prime example of how big of a joke the NCAA truly is, not to mention hypocritical. The organization constantly preaches that they want the youngsters to be “student-athletes” with the student part being first. Yet, they do not want them getting any books besides what it required.
Apparently, when a youngster gets a scholarship, he or she can purchase mandatory but not “recommended” textbooks. I read through the stories a handful of times and I must say, I never knew that buying recommended/nonrequired (whatever the language is) textbooks was a violation. That rule needs to be changed yesterday. I have no problem with Nebraska getting fined but two years probation is border-line extreme. Then again the day the NCAA shows logic will be the first time.
In an era where you have kids' parents whoring out their sons to get a paycheck/shiny new car and those schools get just as much punishment if at all?
The NCAA, unfortunately, became a joke long ago. This seems to be the final verdict in the case. The fact that the $38,000 penalty is peanuts and will be donated to charity, my guess is the NCAA deemed the whole thing to not be a big deal in the grand scheme.
Though the two years probation years doesn't mean much at this point, if I were athletic director Tom Osborne or any coach of any sport at Nebraska, I would be having a serious talk to the players to hammer home that no one does anything that could jeopardize the program as the NCAA might take a very dim view of another infraction (a serious one) that occurs while we are already on probation. Both Osborne and football head coach Bo Pelini have done an outstanding job in that regard so I am not worried; just saying one stupid tattoo and whoa Nelly.
The NCAA should put themselves out of their misery.
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