COLUMBIA, Mo. (WDAF) — The NCAA announced Thursday that it banned the University of Missouri’s football, baseball and softball teams from postseason play in each team’s upcoming season stemming from academic misconduct by a former tutor.
The ruling was handed down after the NCAA determined that the tutor violated ethical conduct, academic misconduct and academic extra benefits rules. The university responded to the ruling and says it will appeal:
Statements From University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright & Director of Athletics Jim Sterk pic.twitter.com/Jo9ohPdQZi
— Mizzou Athletics (@MizzouAthletics) January 31, 2019
According to the report, the tutor completed assignments, quizzes or exams for 12 student-athletes.
“In one instance, she completed an entire course for a football student-athlete,” the NCAA stated in a news release.
The report said that while the tutor felt pressure to help the student-athletes pass their courses, no one told her to do their work for them.
“Although the tutor said she felt pressure to ensure student-athletes passed courses, according to the committee’s report, the investigation did not support that her colleagues directed her to complete the student-athletes’ work,” the NCAA stated.
According to the report, other academic coordinators did the same for other student-athletes.
“The activity repeated itself with other academic coordinators and other student-athletes, so the tutor continued to complete varying degrees of academic work for student-athletes,” the report said.
The report did not name the tutor, just the punishment handed down from the NCAA. That includes:
- Three years of probation.
- A 10-year show-cause order for the former tutor. During that period, any NCAA member school employing the tutor must restrict her from any athletically related duties.
- A 2018-19 postseason ban for the baseball and softball programs.
- A 2019-20 postseason ban for the football program.
- A vacation of records in which football, baseball and softball student-athletes competed while ineligible. The university must provide a written report containing the matches impacted to the NCAA media coordination and statistics staff within 45 days of the public decision release.
- A five-percent reduction in the amount of scholarships in each of the football, baseball and softball programs during the 2019-20 academic year.
- Recruiting restrictions for each of the football, baseball and softball programs during the 2019-20 academic year, including:
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- A seven-week ban on unofficial visits.
- A 12.5 percent reduction in official visits.
- A seven-week ban on recruiting communications.
- A seven-week ban on all off-campus recruiting contacts and evaluations.
- A 12.5 percent reduction in recruiting-person or evaluation days.
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- A disassociation of the tutor. Details of the disassociation can be found in the public report (self-imposed by the university).
- A fine of $5,000 plus 1 percent of each of the football, baseball and softball budgets.
The University of Missouri unanimously approved a raise and extension for football coach Barry Odom in December, extending his coaching duties through 2024. He was also guaranteed an enhanced incentive package of more than $1.8 million for players’ academic and athletic performance.
