NCAA Levels Punishments Against Syracuse University, Jim Boeheim

Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images(SYRACUSE, N.Y.) — Syracuse University’s basketball program was hit with a staunch penalty by the NCAA on Friday, the conclusion of a years-long investigation into violations committed by the school.

According to the NCAA, some of the school’s student-athletes partook in academic misconduct, received impermissible benefits from boosters and failed to follow its own drug testing policy. Violations involving an undisclosed number of student-athletes took place from 2001 through 2012, according to the college sports governing body. Additionally, the school “failed to exercise proper control over the administration of its athletics program.”

The NCAA also said that Head Basketball Coach Jim Boeheim, the longest-tenured coach in Division 1 men’s basketball, “did not promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program and did not monitor the activities of those who reported to him as they related to academics and booster involvement.”

The school’s athletics department will be placed on probation for five years, in addition to the self-imposed ban from postseason play that the school announced last month. The NCAA further implemented punishments including the vacation of more than 100 victories, a suspension of Boeheim for nine conference games next season and the loss of three scholarships per year for four years, beginning in 2016-2017.

The punishment is among the most harsh ever dealt out by the NCAA.

In a statement, university Chancellor Kent Syverud acknowledged violations involving a booster and drug testing, as well as certain academic improprieties. Nonetheless, Syverud said that the university “disagrees with the NCAA’s position” on the academic issues. He also wrote that Syracuse is considering an appeal of “portions of the decision.”

“Some may not agree with Syracuse University’s positions on these important issues,” Syverud wrote. “However, we hope everyone will agree that eight years is too long for an investigation and that a more expeditious and less costly process would be beneficial to student-athletes, public confidence in the NCAA enforcement process, and major intercollegiate athletics in general.”

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