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NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee Upholds Penalties for Florida State UniversityFor Immediate Release
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Contact(s)
Stacey Osburn
Associate Director of Public and Media Relations
317/917-6117
INDIANAPOLIS – The NCAA Division I Infractions Appeals Committee has upheld the vacation of records penalty for Florida State University.
In March 2009, the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions issued an infractions report that included findings of academic fraud affecting more than 60 student-athletes across 10 sports. The case also included impermissible benefits, unethical conduct by three former academic support services staff members and a failure to monitor by the university. The involved sports were football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s swimming, men’s and women’s track, baseball, softball and men’s golf.
Penalties for the violations included four years of probation, scholarship reductions, vacation of records and show cause penalties for the former staff members.
In its written appeal, the university asserted that the vacation of records penalty assessed by the Committee on Infractions should be overturned. Specifically, the university asserted this penalty was “excessive” and claimed the Committee on Infractions did not appropriately weigh its cooperation during the investigation and corrective actions when determining the penalties.
The Infractions Appeals Committee, however, affirmed the penalty, stating in its report, “The cooperative efforts of the university clearly did not outweigh the aggravating factors in this case – the nature, number, scope and seriousness of the violations.”
The members of the Infractions Appeals Committee who heard this case were Noel M. Ragsdale, University of Southern California, chair; Susan Cross Lipnickey, Miami University (Ohio); Jack Friedenthal, George Washington University; David Williams II, Vanderbilt University; and William Hoye[1], Institute for the International Education of Students.
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[1] William Hoye served as a substitute on the Infractions Appeals Committee for Chris Griffin who recused himself from this case.
