UNC: Report says Academic issue not just athletes

((ht: newsobserver.com))

So...The University of North Carolina commissioned a former governor and a consulting firm to investigate NCAA allegations of academic fraud involving the football team.

And the big take away seems to be "It wasn't the athletic department's fault?"

If the results found by former Governor Frank Martin are true, the athletic department problems are the least of the issues in Chapel Hill. However, a cursory reading of the findings and a little homework kind of questions some of the results.

The results looked at enrollment in what has been classified as an "Athlete Friendly" course, African and Afro-American Studies. According to the investigation, grades were altered or not fair for most of students. Both athletes and students.

Martin placed the blame on a former department chairman and his assistant.

And while the results, at least preliminarily don't state enrollment in the course over the years Martin investigated 1997 to current, they do say in 2011, there were 19 students taking a particular course, 18 football players and 1 former football player.

Draw your own conclusions.

Read the full story from the Raleigh News-Observer RIGHT HERE

Yes, the NCAA is conducting their own investigation and we have a sneaky suspicion their findings may not be totally in line with this. Because quite honestly, this doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

The motivation behind this: Simple. North Carolina is trying to look proactive and that they are trying to "Root Out" the problem. And while they may very well be doing that, it doesn't eliminate what appears to be the fact that it occurred.

And while you can look at it and say it was the work of a "Rogue" professor, it seems like a bit of stretch. There does seem to be cursory evidence the players...or academic advisors were very aware they could put players in a course at that department to prop up the grades. And that is not only against NCAA rules, it's borderline criminal.

And if Martin's report is spot on. Well, the school has more than just an athletic problem and one can only hope it's one they are actually willing to address.