Among the penalties the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions handed down to Missouri on Thursday because a former tutor did classwork for athletes, the most notable and damaging is a one-year bowl ban for Missouri’s football program. This case was a clear violation of the NCAA’s rules, and Missouri officials admitted the misconduct happened.
Sounds pretty open and shut, right? But it never is when it comes to NCAA infractions cases, because the NCAA has yet to prove it can investigate or adjudicate these cases fairly or evenly.
This penalty, which Missouri athletic director Jim Sterk has promised the school will appeal, will have a long tail.