Last week, Bobby Bowden ended his coaching career on a high note, leading Florida State to a 33-21 victory over West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. Forty-four years of head coaching had come to an end, and Bowden finished with a win.
The happy ending ends there, however, as the NCAA's Appeals Committee upheld the decision to force Florida State to forfeit 14 victories under Bowden, ESPN.com reports.
The violations stem from the Seminoles' use of ineligible players — an infraction that the school self-reported. In March of 2009, though, the NCAA found cases of academic fraud in 60 student-athletes in 10 sports, according to the report.
Bowden, 80, has the second-most wins in college football history, trailing only Penn State's Joe Paterno.
