NBC News: "The FBI Has Arrested Several NCAA Assistant Basketball Coaches"

[another shocker]

The FBI won't do that. We'll have to wait for the NCAA to declare players ineligible. I'm confident they will ban the ones that can't be avoided because the FBI will name them. After that the NCAA will have to do their investigation of any other players involved, and that could take enough years for those players to safely finish their college careers.

At that time the NCAA will tell those schools not to do that any more and put them on blue blood probation. That means that if any of those schools get caught cheating in any way for the next 6 months or so they will get a stern lecture from the NCAA.

Edit: After I wrote my thoughts on how the NCAA would react to their darlings getting in trouble something else occurred to me. What if the FBI finds the NCAA was complicit in all of this? They saw, they knew, they looked away, they did nothing.

i kind of thought the ncaa was complicit in this "shoe ring".

look, the former ncaa compliance guy got busted at alabama.

[1972Shocker]

To a degree you can probably make a case that the NCAA was indirectly complicit in that this kind of thing in some way, shape or form has been going on for many years now, if not decades. Since sports governing body has never shown much interest (or ability) to reign it in I guess it is not surprising that many of the players have been conditioned to believe this is just business as usual. In fact, don't be surprised if that is not part of the defense put forward for the guys facing legal jeopardy. Whether that will be an effective argument remains to be seen.

[RoyalShock]

Silence is Unacceptable

By Mark Adams

Is the FBI and their agents the only group that will step up and lead a charge against cheating, money driven agendas and condemn other coaches by name for ruining our game? Where is the leadership in college basketball?
I haven’t seen one public interview of a college basketball leader come out to condemn the alleged actions of Rick Pitino and Louisville or any other program or assistant coach accused of wrongdoing by the FBI.

The FBI has detailed a network designed to break the law, gain advantages over other coaches and universities and allegedly four assistant coaches have accepted bribes to influence teenagers to attend certain schools and then wear certain shoes and then sign with certain agents.

BRIBES! Yet, no one speaks. No one seems to have a public opinion among a group of men who typically have an opinion on anything and everything related to their teams, their sport, and their profession. The SEC canceled a previously scheduled meeting in Birmingham for men’s basketball coaches on Thursday. The SEC said the cancellation had nothing to do with the FBI probe.

Other college basketball analysts have been active and have weighed in. Fran Fraschilla has been forceful. Dan Dakich has been, well…DAN DAKICH! Jay Bilas weighed in yesterday and Dick Vitale has shown his usual passion. Jay Williams and Seth Greenburg are on record. I certainly don’t agree with everything these men have said and I’m sure they question my sanity but at least they are speaking out.

Where are the Hall of Fame coaches both past and present? These men are perceived as icons by some. They have written books on success and teamwork and coaching and LEADERSHIP. They teach toughness, preach integrity, and how to lead by example by walking the talk and confronting challenges head on. Where are you guys?

Where are the leaders of our campus communities at every administrative level? Where are the men who coach at the schools who DO MORE WITH LESS?

This is a time for solutions led by bold and visionary leaders. Will Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), be the only voices I hear until the end of this investigation?

Silence among our leaders is unacceptable.

.

[molly jabali]

.

What he said

[Cdizzle]

Where are the Hall of Fame coaches both past and present?

Best guess is under investigation.

[WuShock16]

I like Mark, but reading some of his ideas makes me think he is slightly naive about how to fix college basketball.

[shock]

My guess is there are 351 head coaches, 351 athletic directors, 351 assistant athletic directors, 1755 assistant coaches, and 2 major corporations and their employees are ALL under investigation. This is going to be a glacier slow process and every school is doing internal investigations to find out everything they can about what is going on. No university wants to be under FBI scrutiny, especially when it will be followed closely by an IRS audit.

[WstateU]

My guess is there are 351 head coaches, 351 athletic directors, 351 assistant athletic directors, 1755 assistant coaches, and 2 major corporations and their employees are ALL under investigation. This is going to be a glacier slow process and every school is doing internal investigations to find out everything they can about what is going on. No university wants to be under FBI scrutiny, especially when it will be followed closely by an IRS audit.

P.S. Heck, I'm scared and I don't think we've done anything to be scared about.

[Aargh]

My only fear is that this will be the year WSU gets the natty and everybody puts an asterisk behind because it can't really count with all the schools and players who weren't able to compete for the title.

[Kung Wu]

What if the FBI finds the NCAA was complicit in all of this? They saw, they knew, they looked away, they did nothing.

Isn't that what the NCAA calls "Lack of Institutional Control"?

Oh sweet irony!

[DUShock]

My only fear is that this will be the year WSU gets the natty and everybody puts an asterisk behind because it can't really count with all the schools and players who weren't able to compete for the title.

I don't see this being resolved this season. If the NCAA is aware, and has not done anything to 'protect' the bigger schools, what is to say that they would do anything? Everything related to this matter is sickening.

[Cdizzle]

My only fear is that this will be the year WSU gets the natty and everybody puts an asterisk behind because it can't really count with all the schools and players who weren't able to compete for the title.

If they are interested on putting asterisks on natty's based on this investigation, it will be the past 15, not this one.

[1972Shocker]

My guess is there are 351 head coaches, 351 athletic directors, 351 assistant athletic directors, 1755 assistant coaches, and 2 major corporations and their employees are ALL under investigation. This is going to be a glacier slow process and every school is doing internal investigations to find out everything they can about what is going on. No university wants to be under FBI scrutiny, especially when it will be followed closely by an IRS audit.

Not only that but it might not hurt to let the dust clear a bit before convicting anyone. The FBI may have these guys dead in their tracks but they deserve their day in court although not sure how many of these will actually make it to trial. Although a lot of interesting things can come to light in the meantime.

And, if and when, steps are taken to address these issues I am not sure it will be an easy fix.

[KraRam]

I am going to be the conspiracist here...so take with a grain of salt...but I am thinking the NCAA called in the FBI because they new they had lost control and could literally do nothing about it. Now that it is a legal matter, and information will come out that they would never be able to get, gives them the grounds to impose heavy penalties. I will not be surprised if UL gets the death penalty. Again, take with a grain or three of salt.

[60Shock]

I think we are very likely to see those whom have already been identified making deals with the FBI for lesser sentencing.