Why the NCAA Came Down So Hard on U of L

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For the first time in college basketball history, a national championship has been vacated. Today (2/20) the NCAA issued the final results of the appeal filed by the University of Louisville over the loss of a number of games, including victories in the 2012 and 2013 NCAA tournament (both years included Final Four appearances) and the 2013 National Championship. In addition, the university has to repay the NCAA all of the money the university made by their appearances (tournament money, TV money, etc.) in every game where players deemed "ineligible" played. So, why did the NCAA come down so hard on Louisville? Living here, listening to the fans whine, they're not looking at this objectively. (Translated: if this were happening to Kentucky or Duke there would be parties thrown throughout the city.) But this ruling had to be VERY firm, for a number of reasons. 1. We're Talking Teenagers and Sex. If these were female players you know what the outrage would be. The main allegation here is that the university hired strippers and prostitutes to, ahem, "encourage" potential recruits to sign with Louisville to play college basketball. Bribery is wrong, period. 2. It Sends a Message to Other Programs. Let's face it: college basketball (college sports in general) is a huge money-making machine, for universities and the NCAA. Of the 347 division 1 universities in America, there are a few that no one would deny are "elite": Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Kansas in basketball; Alabama, Notre Dame, and Texas in football; and UConn in women's basketball. This ruling sends a clear signal to the other 340 universities that the "big boys" are held to the same rules, and they don't get a pass because they're a big-name school. 3. The Other Muck. I truly believe if the only scandal facing U of L had been the sex-for-recruits scandal the punishment wouldn't have been nearly as severe. However, this issue is, in reality, the least of U of L's worries right now. In recent years: * Head coach Rick Pitino was accused of rape. (His accuser ended up going to jail for blackmail.) *University president James Ramsey was forced to quit amid allegations that he was skimming money from the university's foundation fund (which he conveniently was also the president of). *The FBI -- not the NCAA, mind you, but federal police authorities -- included Louisville in an indictment of schools and coaches engaged in a bribery scandal with shoe companies over bribing recruits (with money this time, not sex) to sign with certain programs. This investigation, still ongoing, cost both Pitino and athletics director Tom Jurich their jobs at Louisville. So down comes the banner. Back goes the trophy. Pitino's record of 770 victories is going to be reduced to 647 after the wins are "officially" removed from the record. It's an ugly day in Louisville sports history. But this had to be done to make sure other college programs don't try to cheat.