LSU Sanctioned, On Probation

[TerryTate]

NCAA hits LSU with one year probation, recruiting restrictions - ESPN

The NCAA has placed LSU's football program on probation for one year and handed it recruiting and scholarship reductions after its Committee on Infractions cited the program with major violations stemming from the recruitment of a prospective player.

The school escaped harsher penalties as a result of cooperation from its compliance office, which self-reported the recruiting violations and cooperated with investigators, the NCAA said.

The NCAA's Committee on Infractions found that a former LSU assistant coach provided the prospect with transportation and lodging during an unofficial visit to the school and used a second phone -- which he allegedly did not disclose to investigators -- to make impermissible recruiting calls. Investigators alleged the assistant knowingly committed the infractions.

A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that the probe centered around former receivers coach D.J. McCarthy's dealings with defensive lineman Akiem Hicks, a junior college transfer who never played for the Tigers. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the NCAA did not publicly discuss the matter before the announcement.

Nicks left the program in January 2010, while McCarthy resigned in December 2009.

The sanctions include a 10 percent reduction in official recruiting visits for football during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 academic years, as well as a reduction of two initial scholarships for 2011-12 and two overall scholarships for 2010-11. The scholarship reductions were self-imposed by LSU.

The former assistant was assessed a one-year show-cause penalty.

 

[AdmiralBackhand]

I can dig it.

 

[Riddickulous]

Haha.

 

[Mr. McGibblets]

Im still waiting for Charles Robinson's whammy of a program that will come to light in August---you know, the one where he said Ohio State is an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 compared to this particular program that he deems a 10. IMO, tOSU is 10 but we shall see.

 

[TerryTate]

Maybe both of the 2011 NC contenders will vacate wins... hahaha

 

[Veer option]

Im still waiting for Charles Robinson's whammy of a program that will come to light in August---you know, the one where he said Ohio State is an 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 compared to this particular program that he deems a 10. IMO, tOSU is 10 but we shall see.

You would have thought something would have been leaked by now.

 

[BGIF]

NCAA hits LSU with one year probation, recruiting restrictions - ESPN

He pointed specifically to senior associate athletic director Miriam Segar, who became suspicious of Hicks' living arrangements from the time he arrived in Baton Rouge. According to an earlier LSU report on the matter, Segar spent weeks pressing for answers and made the decision to bar Hicks from traveling to LSU's 2009 season-opening game at Washington because she was unsatisfied with the information she had received.

Segar actually saved LSU's bacon (or andouille sausage) from a worse situation but she probably should get her resume up to date. At Bama, UTN, and UGA, the people who I.D.'d an NCAA problem got to move on.

 

[Old Man Mike]

This situation is of "sociological" interest on several levels, one of which is the problem facings whistle-blowers that BGIF mentions. Another is the rapidity in which LSU placed scholarship reduction punishment on itself. That points [to me anyway] either that LSU feels that the NCAA is smelling blood in the water generally, or that LSU has a lot more to hide, or both. Their quick "Mea Culpa" against themselves has apparently worked to get the NCAA looking elsewhere now.

 

[jdailey1981]

USC, OSU, and now LSU....get UM next and that would be great.....haha

 

[BGIF]

This situation is of "sociological" interest on several levels, one of which is the problem facings whistle-blowers that BGIF mentions. Another is the rapidity in which LSU placed scholarship reduction punishment on itself. That points [to me anyway] either that LSU feels that the NCAA is smelling blood in the water generally, or that LSU has a lot more to hide, or both. Their quick "Mea Culpa" against themselves has apparently worked to get the NCAA looking elsewhere now.

Maybe. Maybe not.

The NCAA and LSU are "discussing" Willie Lyles services.

 

[TDHeysus]

The NCAA accepted LSU's self-imposed reduction of two scholarships during the 2010-11 academic year, as well as a 10 percent reduction in official visits and reductions in recruiting calls. LSU had already begun reducing official visits during 2010-11, but the NCAA expanded the punishment to include 2011-12.

this is laughable...translation: if you got enough out of the infraction that was committed, do it again. 2 schollys and 10percent reduction in visits/calls? I'm sure those consequences will deter something that like from ever happening at LSU again.

 

[NDinL.A.]

this is laughable...translation: if you got enough out of the infraction that was committed, do it again. 2 schollys and 10percent reduction in visits/calls? I'm sure those consequences will deter something that like from ever happening at LSU again.

Here's what I get out of this though: LSU gets it. Other programs better get with it. The NCAA is done effing around - they are out for blood. If you self-report and comply with them fully, you'll get off much lighter than if you choose not to, a la USC (and to a lesser extent, GT). That's why I'm convinced that OSU will be hit very hard. This is a new NCAA.

EDIT: Just did a little digging, and here is what a LSU fan had to say on a USC site regarding the sanctions:

You don't seem to get it.

LSU was not given a "pop quiz" by the NCAA, they were proactive and reported a violation without the NCAA ever having had to call them.

This was a new wide receivers coach who made improper contact with a JUCO recruit, gave him transportation and put him up at someones house when he came for a visit.

Here's the kicker, the WR coach who violated the rules graduated from UW and came to LSU from UCLA. I guess he was used to the cheating ways of the Pac 10 but didn't realize that wouldn't fly at LSU. The LSU compliance department got wind of the infractions and began an investigation, when they had some preliminary info, LSU contacted the NCAA - NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND. That's an important distinction.

Did LSU go to the NCAA begging to let them play Hicks? No, they sat him for the whole year based only on the suspicion that something went wrong with his recruitment. At the end of the season when LSU's investigation was over, they fired the coach and did not offer to extend Hicks' scholarship.

Personally, I would think that would be sufficient, but LSU went one step further and self-imposed scholarship limits and limits on recruiting contacts.

These are big, complicated athletic programs. Something is going to go wrong. It's how you keep your eye on the program and respond to the things going wrong is what makes the difference.

If the SC administration acted as most posters on this website did during the investigations (arrogant denial), it's no wonder SC got slammed as hard as they did.

Now, the poster didn't mention the 3,000 extra calls by that slimy coach, but other than that, I think it was a good response (however, as BGIF said, there could be more out there, and LSU fans are praying that nothing comes out of the Lyles situation). But I don't for a second think they are totally clean...

 

[Rhode Irish]

Everyone thinks their program is totally clean. The reality is that no program is totally clean. Everyone screws up. The LSU fan that NDinL.A. quoted here got it right, though: when an inevitable mistake happens you have to be proactive and at least feign contrition. That is what USC fans (and their athletic dept at that time) didn't and still don't understand.

I have my doubts about LSU running a squeaky-clean program aside from this incident, as the fan here seems to believe. So maybe there is a little bit of "confessing-to-trespassing-before-they-find-out-about-the-missing-jewelry" going on here by LSU.

If it turns out that they are cooperating here only in an attempt to hide a more explosive situation and that comes out, then they will have their day of reckoning with the NCAA. In the meantime, and based on what we know today, it appears that LSU got the NCAA's message and played its hand correctly.

 

[Bogtrotter07]

Now, the poster didn't mention the 3,000 extra calls by that slimy coach, but other than that, I think it was a good response (however, as BGIF said, there could be more out there, and LSU fans are praying that nothing comes out of the Lyles situation). But I don't for a second think they are totally clean...

3,600 X 3 officials, including director of football operations. Look at the three additional tied to the phone, all top LSU officials. That's where it goes OMM. By the way, how many phones were there? And where else were there duplicate records? Because that's what we have. I think this thing will be back, and it may be bigger than tOSU.