The NCAA imposed a one-year postseason ban on Ohio State's football program for the 2012 season, announced a reduction of scholarships and placed the university on probation for three years after it was cited for failure to monitor, according to sanctions the NCAA released on Tuesday.
Former coach Jim Tressel was also found to have engaged in unethical conduct for not reporting NCAA rule violations and received a five-year show-cause order for failing to report that some players improperly sold memorabilia and allowed ineligible players to compete throughout the 2010 season.
"Of great concern to the committee was the fact that the former head coach became aware of these violations and decided not to report the violations to institutional officials, the Big Ten Conference or the NCAA," the committee stated in its report.
The NCAA also ordered Ohio State to disassociate itself from booster Robert DiGeronimo and former quarterback Terrelle Pryor, forfeit nearly $340,000 and vacate the 2010-11 football season.
In November, the NCAA charged Ohio State with failure to monitor. The charge said that the school failed to keep an eye on DiGeronimo, a Cleveland-area booster who overpaid some players for part-time work and gave players cash for a spring charity appearance.
The penalties were as follows:
- Public reprimand and censure
- Three years of probation from Dec. 20, 2011 through Dec. 19, 2014.
- Postseason ban for the 2012 football season, which includes the conference championship game.
- Reduction of football scholarships from 85 to 82 for each of the 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15 academic years. This is an increase from the university's proposal of five initial scholarships spread over three academic years.
- Vacation of all wins for the 2010 football regular season, including the 2010 Big Ten Conference co-championship and participation in the 2011 Sugar Bowl. (self imposed by the university)
- Forfeiture of $338,811, which is the amount the university received through the Big Ten Conference revenue-sharing for its appearance in the bowl game (self imposed by the university)
- Five-year show-cause order for the former head coach.
- Disassociation of the booster for 10 years, including among other conditions, the prohibition of any financial or other support (self imposed by the university).
- Disassociation of a former student-athlete for five years, including among other conditions, the prohibition of any financial or other support (self imposed by the university).
Tressel was asked to resign as Ohio State coach in May. He was replaced by Luke Fickell on an interim basis before the university hired Urban Meyer to take over next season.
On Dec. 23, 2010, problems were first revealed in the Ohio State football program when five players were suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season for accepting cash and tattoos in exchange for some of their memorabilia.
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