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NCAA sticks by decision to vacate FSU wins

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 18, 2009

Updated: 06/18/2009 01:39 pm

By ADAM EMERSON

aemerson@tampatrib.com

Florida State University couldn't convince the NCAA to reverse its decision to strip the school of wins in 10 sports, including as many as 14 by football coach Bobby Bowden, following an academic cheating scandal.

In a response to the university's appeal, the NCAA said the penalties are not "particularly severe," and that such sanctions are "often imposed in cases that have far fewer aggravating factors than those that exist here."

Tallahassee attorney Bill Williams, who is handling the case for Florida State, said the university will continue to fight to keep the victories. University officials said they won't comment until all appeals have been exhausted.

"We will respond to this and then we ultimately have an oral argument before the infractions appeal committee in Indianapolis (Ind.) and then they will make a final decision," Williams said.

He said he expected the hearing would be scheduled in late summer or early fall, but admitted that was a guess.

"Heck, it could be anytime," he said.

The NCAA said 61 Seminole athletes cheated on an online test in a music history course from the fall of 2006 through summer 2007 or received improper help from university staff who provided them with answers to the exam and typed papers for them.

The NCAA imposed a four-year probation and scholarship reductions, which school administrators didn't fight. But they thought a move to strip the school of so many wins was too harsh.

The sanctions would particularly hurt Bowden's bid to become NCAA Division 1 football's all-time winningest coach. As many as 14 football victories would be taken away under the penalty. Bowden has 382 career wins, one fewer than Penn State's Joe Paterno. Both coaches remain active, but Bowden is 79 years old and Paterno is 82.

The NCAA argued that FSU "fell well short" in its arguments.

"The most severe penalties are appropriate when the academic mission of the university has been compromised," the June 2 infractions committee response said.

The committee's recommendations include taking away wins from 10 Florida State teams and a 2007 national championship in track and field.

The response to FSU's appeal became public today only after news organizations, including The Tampa Tribune, sued the university and the NCAA for its release.

After the public records lawsuit and intervention by Florida's attorney general, the NCAA allowed Florida State to release the committee's June 2 response to FSU's appeal of the NCAA punishment that would strip the school of the victories.

Florida State played in the 2007 Music City Bowl without two dozen players, including several starters. The Seminoles were defeated by Kentucky. Many of the same athletes were held out of the first three games on the 2008 season as part of their punishment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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