There were many who questioned Ohio State’s decision not to respond in the immediate aftermath of a damning Yahoo! report that was published Monday, one which accused head coach Jim Tressel of allegedly knowing that several of his players had received impermissible benefits months before the school claimed it became aware of the situation.
Today, OSU is expected to rectify what some feel was a monumental PR blunder.
According to Doug Lesmerises of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the school will issue a response to the allegations levied in the article. WBNS-TV in Columbus takes it a step further, reporting that the school will conduct a press conference to presumably answer questions surrounding the report.
No specific time was given for when the presser will go down, although the rumors we’re hearing is that it will take place sometime after six ET this evening.
Athletic director Gene Smith, who is also chairman of the Men’s Basketball Selection Committee, has been out of town tending to tournament-related business when he was reportedly called back to Columbus. It would seem likely that Smith would be a part of whatever response tack the school takes.
An administration official told the Plain Dealer today that, the paper writes, “the school has been in frequent contact with the NCAA about the suspensions of six players for selling memorabilia, because the school is appealing those suspensions, and that the discussion of this latest allegation will be folded into those conversations.”
If it’s ultimately proven that Tressel knew of potential violations being committed by his players and did not inform the athletic department -- or if Tressel did inform the athletic department and the school sat on the information for several months -- the coach and/or the school could face significant sanctions from the NCAA.
UPDATED 1:06 p.m. ET: The press conference will take place at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday evening. President E. Gordon Gee, AD Gene Smith and Jim Tressel will take part in it.