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Seminoles Recommend 2-Year Probation For Violations

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By SCOTT CARTER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 15, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - It could be several months before Florida State University knows its final fate, but in a self-report of rules violations sent to the NCAA on Thursday, the school recommended that it be placed on two years probation - retroactive to Wednesday - and face scholarship reductions in multiple sports.

The proposals stem from an academic misconduct investigation that determined more than 50 student-athletes cheated to some degree. FSU recently concluded the 11-month internal probe ordered by school president T.K. Wetherell, an investigation that cost Seminole Boosters more than $121,000 and uncovered rampant cheating on an online test for a course titled "MUH 2051: Music of World Cultures."

According to school officials, the next step is for the NCAA to review the report, offer rulings on 22 athletes whom FSU has requested have their eligibility restored, and then determine how many scholarships and how many sports will be affected.

Thursday's report, which on the cover states that it was modified in order to be released to the public, revealed an investigation that included interviews with 118 student-athletes who "had remaining eligibility or remained in the Tallahassee area" after taking the course in question over a five-semester period starting in the spring of 2006. To help in its investigation, FSU hired The Compliance Group, an independent firm operated by former NCAA compliance official Chuck Smrt, and also received assistance from Atlantic Coast Conference and NCAA officials.

"We believe that our investigation has been thorough and exhaustive," FSU provost and investigation chair Larry Abele said in a statement. "This university and its athletics department have accepted responsibility, made changes in the processes and systems, and imposed penalties as warranted."

NCAA officials declined to address FSU's recommendations through spokeswoman Stacey Osburn, who said "it is NCAA policy to not comment on current, pending or potential investigations."

Before the public release of Thursday's 30-page report, FSU had already made several changes among the Athletic Academic Support Services staff, including the recent hiring of Bill Shults to head the AASS, replacing Mark Meleney, whose contract was not renewed. On Thursday, AASS staff member Amy Lord announced her resignation, the latest departure in what is now near a complete overhaul since the scandal first surfaced in March 2007.

Finalizing FSU's sanctions as it deals with the NCAA will be an early focus of newly hired athletic director Randy Spetman, whose first day of work was Thursday. By publicly placing itself on probation, FSU would face stiffer NCAA sanctions if the school commits other rules violations during the self-imposed probation period.

In the report, FSU addresses specific corrective and punitive actions it has made, including not renewing the contracts of Brenda Monk, a learning specialist at the center of the school's initial report to the NCAA in September, and an unidentified male tutor. In that report, FSU identified 23 athletes involved in the cheating scandal, but at the urging of the NCAA, FSU re-opened its investigation and determined 39 more to be involved.

Based on FSU's recommendation to "reduce the number of grant-in-aids in several sports depending upon the number of involved student-athletes in those sports," the football team is expected to be hardest hit by whatever sanctions the NCAA imposes.

Bowden said recently that FSU, which lost to Kentucky in the Music City Bowl on New Year's Eve with a depleted roster, will be without at least 12 scholarship players for the first three games of next season.

While it has been widely reported that the suspension period for athletes involved in the scandal was 30 percent of that athlete's season, there is some variation among the 22 athletes FSU has filed reinstatement requests for.

Of those, one is maintaining innocence and requesting no loss in eligibility, four face 30-percent sanctions, eight athletes face losing 65 percent of their eligibility, and nine are requesting reinstatement from a full-season suspension.

For now, FSU must wait on the NCAA to conduct its own investigation and determine whether FSU's recommendations are satisfactory, or whether additional sanctions will be imposed.

FSU Scandals

A glance at other Florida State scandals in recent years, all involving football players:

1988: Eric Williams, a senior cornerback, was discovered to be driving a $27,500 BMW registered to a prominent Seminoles booster, Clearwater lawyer Raymond Gross, prompting an NCAA investigation.

1994: Sports Illustrated magazine published a cover story called "Tainted Title," claiming players on FSU's 1993 national championship team took an agent-funded shopping spree at a Foot Locker store. The incident prompted then-Florida coach Steve Spurrier to label FSU as "Free Shoes University."

1999: Players Laveranues Coles and Peter Warrick became suspects in a much-publicized alleged theft at Dillard's department store in the Tallahassee Mall. According to reports, a clerk at the store sold the players items well below regular price.

2000: A state investigation tied a controversial, high-powered sports agent named Tank Black with FSU players Lamarr Glenn and Warrick, one of the Seminoles' top players on the 1999 national championship team. Black also faced charges for making illegal payments to University of Florida players.

2003: Quarterback Adrian McPherson was entangled in a theft and gambling case that drew the NCAA's attention, resulting in McPherson's dismissal from FSU.

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