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Noles' appeal rejected

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By ADAM EMERSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2009

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, told The Associated Press 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 and then they will make a final decision," Williams said.

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

The NCAA said 61 Seminoles 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 administrators didn't fight. But university officials thought a move to strip the school of so many victories was too harsh.

The sanctions would particularly hurt Bowden's bid to become NCAA Division I football's all-time winningest coach. 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 Associated Press contributed to this report. Reporter Adam Emerson can be reached at (813) 259-8285.

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