In a “notice of allegations” given to Ohio State President E. Gordon Gee on Friday and obtained by The Dispatch, the NCAA accused Tressel of dishonesty for hiding violations by seven current and former players who sold awards and equipment to a tattoo-parlor owner.
Ohio State, however, was not cited for “failure to monitor” or “failure of institutional control” violations, which would likely lead to the harshest of penalties. Such penalties are typically imposed when a university’s compliance program is weak.
“That was very significant,” a source close to the investigation told The Dispatch today.
Ohio State officials declined immediate comment on the NCAA notice.
The best-case scenario for Ohio State is the NCAA accepting the university’s self-imposed sanctions on Tressel, which include a $250,000 fine and five-game suspension. The worst-case scenario is a range of sanctions that could prevent the Buckeyes from playing in the Big Ten Championship and a bowl game next season and strip OSU of last year’s victories and Big Ten title.
Ironically, Ohio State’s Sugar Bowl victory over Arkansas in January would stand because the NCAA had restored the eligibility of quarterback Terrelle Pryor and five others who sold memorabilia.
The NCAA warned that it could treat Ohio State as a repeat offender stemming from the violations involving former quarterback Troy Smith, who took $500 from a booster and former men’s basketball coach Jim O’Brien, who gave $6,000 to a recruit.
That finding is the most damning and potentially most damaging because repeat offenders face post-season bans, the entire coaching staff could be suspended and the school could lose scholarships, according to NCAA rules.
“It was reported that Jim Tressel, head football coach, failed to deport himself in accordance with the honesty and integrity normally associated with the conduct and administration of intercollegiate athletics and violated ethical-conduct legislation,” the 13-page NCAA document says.
The NCAA notice of allegations is the document that spells out the charges against the university. It lists what violations the NCAA has found in its initial investigation and seeks additional information from the university.
In this case, the NCAA wants Ohio State to explain, among other things, the school’s ties to Columbus attorney Christopher Cicero, who sent the first email to Tressel alerting him of player involvement with the tattoo parlor operator, and with Ted Sarniak, a Jeannette, Pa., businessman and mentor to Pryor.
The NCAA also wants a copy of the Dec. 7 letter sent to Ohio State from the U.S. Department of Justice reporting it had seized OSU memorabilia in a drug investigation. That letter triggered the university’s investigation into the matter and ultimately the discovery on Jan. 23 that Tressel knew of violations involving his players.
The NCAA alleges that:
>> Tressel was guilty of ethical misconduct when he knowingly provided false information to the NCAA in certifying that he knew of no potential violations by his players and failed to inform OSU officials.
>> Ohio State fielded ineligible players last season when starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor and others competed despite Tressel’s knowledge of their misconduct. NCAA bylaws call for immediate suspensions.
The NCAA said that Pryor, Dan Herron, DeVier Posey, Mike Adams, Solomon Thomas and Jordan Whiting will not face further punishment. They have been suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season.
The NCAA letter details what those five current players and one former player did: Improperly sold Big Ten championship rings, “gold pants” charms from Michigan wins, game-worn equipment and other items to tattoo-parlor owner Ed Rife for $9,480.
Players, whose names were redacted by Ohio State citing a federal privacy law, also received 13 free or discounted tattoos. In addition, one player received a $2,420 discount toward the purchase of a used vehicle from Rife, as well as an $800 loan for vehicle repairs, the NCAA reported.
Tressel knew that at least two players were selling memorabilia or football awards to Rife. Those transactions made the players ineligible to compete under NCAA rules, the letter states.
However, Tressel never reported the violations to OSU officials and certified to the NCAA he was unaware of any potential problems.
Tressel said he never informed his Ohio State superiors of the misconduct by his players because he feared for their safety amid an April 2, 2010 e-mail from Cicero reporting that they were selling memorabilia a tattoo parlor under investigation for suspected drug dealing. Rife has not been charged with any crime related to these incidents.
Tressel also said that Cicero requested that the information be kept confidential and the coach said he did not want to take any action that might interfere with the federal investigation. The suspect has not been charged with any offense.
The allegation that Tressel lied to the NCAA is significant. Since 2006, the NCAA has sanctioned 28 schools for violating the ethics bylaw that Tressel did. Of the 13 head coaches involved, only one kept her job. The others either resigned or were fired by their schools.
Since 2004, four universities that are part of the Football Bowl Championship division were penalized by the NCAA for allowing ineligible players to participate in games and for being repeat offenders.
Alabama (football), South Alabama (men’s tennis), Arkansas (track) and Southern California (football) each had to vacate all victories in which the ineligible athletes competed. All were placed on probation, but only Southern California was banned from post-season competition.
Tressel, Gee, athletic director Gene Smith and others are being asked to meet with the NCAA infractions committee on Aug. 12 in Indianapolis. At the hearing, OSU will answer questions and explain itself. At some point after that, the NCAA will rule on the ultimate punishment.
In addition to stripping Ohio State of its wins from 2010, NCAA rules allow the organization to reduce the number of football scholarships OSU can award and forbid Ohio State from participating in any Big Ten championship game or post-season bowl game.
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