For the last few years, the NCAA has been investigating whether the University of North Carolina steered student-athletes toward sham classes.
And, after years of devoting valuable resources to the investigation, the NCAA on Friday announced that it could not conclude that UNC violated rules, though it said athletes “likely benefited from so-called ‘paper courses.’ ” While that ruling surely comes as a relief to many in Chapel Hill, N.C., it’s left others in the sports world totally dumbfounded.
Here’s an excerpt from the NCAA’s statement:
Committee on Infractions could not conclude North Carolina violated NCAA rules: https://t.co/iPE127Txqr pic.twitter.com/suI59ucHvs
— NCAA (@NCAA) October 13, 2017
There are many details to this investigation, but at its core are courses within the school’s Department of African and Afro-American Studies. More than 3,100 students, roughly half of which were athletes, enrolled in the classes from 1993 to 2011, according to ESPN. The NCAA only investigated 2002-11, however.
So what was so bad about the classes? Well, they reportedly didn’t require attendance, and students only needed to submit one paper at the end of the semester. Furthermore, grade changes and forged faculty signatures were commonplace.
In the end, UNC avoided sanctions essentially because the NCAA doesn’t have jurisdiction over these types of academic matters. Moreover, UNC maintained that since these classes were offered to all students, athletes did not receive benefits that violated rules.
Here’s what some people are saying about the ruling:
In the biggest academic fraud case in NCAA history, UNC successfully convinced Committee on Infractions that none of it violated NCAA rules
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) October 13, 2017
UNREAL @NCAA reports that @GoHeels athletes most likely took phony classes but can’t conclude that there were any violations.Embarrassing
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) October 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/LukeyBonner/status/918843430767398912
The @NCAA has no jurisdiction over academic matters & would of gotten destroyed if #UNC decided to sue. Waste of time & a lot of $$$.
— Jay Williams (@RealJayWilliams) October 13, 2017
NCAA justice …
Taking money from an agent = bad
Taking money from boosters = bad
Steering kids to sham classes = not our problem.— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) October 13, 2017
From the start, it was clear NCAA rules did not cover this matter. What a colossal waste of time and money when NCAA knew it had no case. https://t.co/xpeJXv5gr5
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) October 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/andyhre/status/918842997155905536
The NCAA bowed to media pressure in reopening #UNC’s investigation, but the COI was unable to apply bylaws to the academic irregularities.
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) October 13, 2017
Even if NCAA's UNC decision is "correct"–i.e. it lacks jurisdiction–it makes a mockery of supposed mission. How can you take it seriously?
— Joe Nocera (@opinion_joe) October 13, 2017
Adolph Rupp used to "teach" a class where all players got As. This will be new model–why bother to pretend athletes are getting educated?
— Joe Nocera (@opinion_joe) October 13, 2017
#UNC walks. All over the @NCAA. @courierjournal pic.twitter.com/wgt6bCvE8z
— – (@MurphyCartoons) October 13, 2017
This next tweet perfectly encapsulates how Tarheel nation is reacting:
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) October 13, 2017
Let’s hope Roy Williams responds to inevitable questions better than John Calipari did at Kentucky media day Thursday.
Regardless of which side of this debate you fall on, it’s tough to argue that both UNC and the NCAA didn’t come out of this mess with bruised reputations.
Thumbnail photo via Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports Images
