The university has sent the NCAA its response from a Notice of Allegations received in April and, as part of the self-imposed penalties, will vacate its 12 wins from last season as well as its Big Ten championship and Sugar Bowl triumph.
In addition, the school will impose two years of probation on the football program. However, the university said it should not receive further punishment — for example, a postseason ban — from the NCAA because only head coach Jim Tressel was aware of the player violations.
“While an institution always is responsible for the actions of its current and former employees, in this case, institutional responsibility is minimal because, but for the knowledge of a former employee [Tressel], the institution had no knowledge that a possible violation had occurred,” the school said in its response to the NCAA.
Tressel eventually resigned on May 30. While the school had previously stated that Tressel made the decision on his own, the response to the NCAA indicates the coach was asked to step down.
“The university eventually determined that it was in the best interest of the university and Tressel for Tressel to resign, and he agreed to do so,” the school wrote in its response.
Last December, the NCAA suspended quarterback Terrelle Pryor, running back Dan Herron, receiver DeVier Posey, offensive lineman Mike Adams and defensive lineman Solomon Thomas for the first five games of 2011 season for receiving improper benefits. The players sold athletic awards, apparel and/or equipment to a the owner of a local tattoo parlor in 2009.
Further investigation then determined that Tressel had been alerted to the potential violations in April 2010 and withheld the information from school administrators.
“The institution is embarrassed by the actions of Tressel in this matter,” the response added. “The university sufficiently educated him (and all coaching staff members) pertaining to a coach’s responsibility under NCAA legislation to report information concerning potential violations of NCAA legislation and the means for this to occur.”
Tressel, who acknowledged his mistakes in March, had initially been suspended two games for his impropriety and was also fined $250,000. He then added three more games to the penalty to equal the length of his players’ suspensions.
Pryor, in June, decided not to return for his senior season.
The university is scheduled to appear before the NCAA on August 12 in Indianapolis.
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