Nearly three months after receiving a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA, North Carolina has officially responded to accusations of major violations involving the football program.
And officially slapped itself on the wrist as well.
In its 111-page response, UNC acknowledged that it is " is embarrassed and disappointed by these violations”, which involve both impermissible benefits and academic fraud. The NCAA has accused the Tar Heels of committing nine major violations, including citing former assistant coach John Blake with "[u]nethical conduct for providing false and misleading information to the NCAA enforcement staff and to the institution and for failure to cooperate with the investigation"; student-athletes had received preferential treatment and accepted impermissible benefits; and " the institution failed to adequately monitor the conduct and administration of the football program.”
As a result, UNC has proposed the following self-imposed sanctions:
- Vacate all wins (16 total) for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
- Reduce by nine (three per year) the number of scholarships the football program may award 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Two years probation
- Pay a monetary fine of $50,000
The school is scheduled to appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions on Oct. 28 in Indianapolis. The COI can either affirm the self-imposed sanctions, or add to them.
“We have acknowledged our violations, and we’ve responded in the way you would expect of this University,” UNC chancellor Holden Thorp said in a statement. “We think that the sanctions wehave proposed accept responsibility and, at the same time, give our current and future student-athletes and coaches every opportunity for success. We go before the NCAA Committee on Infractions on October 28, and that will be another important milestone.”
