Ohio State's Self-Imposed Penalties Vacate 2010 Season
After another magnificent football season in 2010, the Ohio State University has decided to impose several punishments upon itself in an attempt to reduce the inevitable restrictions that will be handed down by the NCAA in August.
OSU has decided to vacate all wins from the 2010 season, including an impressive Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas, but does not believe they deserve to have future scholarships taken away or to be banned from future bowl games. Avoiding the penalty of a ‘Lack of Institutional Control’ is their main priority at this time.
Ohio State responded to the NCAA today stating that former head coach Jim Tressel, who resigned in late May, knew of players who had violated NCAA rules by selling memorabilia for profit and chose to not expose them. The response also stated that since Coach Tressel was the only one who knew of these violations, Buckeye football does not deserve any further restrictions. Though the university officials had previously stated they had not sought Tressel's resignation, they have now admitted to forcing him out.
In summation, the effects of Ohio State's self-imposed restrictions are the vacating of 12 wins from a 12-1 season, release of the Sugar Bowl and Big Ten Championships, and a two-year probation effective immediately. Odd that the bowl game which the NCAA had allowed known violators to play in is now included in the self-imposed penalty.
OSU has outlined several measures it will take to ensure that issues like these never arise again. Compliance officers will now travel with basketball and football teams to all away games and players will not receive any unnecessary rewards like helmets worn in games until after they graduate or otherwise leave the Ohio State program. Still, it is up to the NCAA to decide how they would like to handle the situation and could end up inflicting harsher penalties on the program.