U of Miami: No Major Penalties for NCAA Violations

Further proof that either the NCAA has no teeth, is hypocritical or clueless depending on your interpretation.

The University of Miami, long rumored to be in serious trouble due to former booster Nevin Shapiro, found out Tuesday morning what their penalty would be.

And thanks to some self-imposed restrictions, it wasn't too serious. No bowl ban for the football team, 3-years probation and 3 scholarship losses over each of the next 3-years. Several football assistants will serve "Show-Cause" penalties.

In addition; the basketball team will lose 3 scholarships and former head coach and current Missouri Coach Frank Haith will be suspended for 5 games.

The Hurricanes have imposed a bowl ban on their own the past 2 seasons and fully cooperated with the NCAA during the investigation. That according to reports, was a big factor in the relatively light sentence.

You can read more specifics from ESPN.com RIGHT HERE

The Hurricanes problems came to light in 2011 when Yahoo Sports did a detailed investigation and interview with Shapiro, convicted in his past of running a Ponzi scheme, and Shapiro spoke about lavish parties with players, handing money to them, wining and dining them over an 8-year period of time.

For their part, the school will pay a minor price and all parties will finally after 3-years of investigating, move on.

Reaction from WPLG-TV in Miami:

Miami On Notice With NCAA

((HT: WSVN-TV))

Miami's athletics program is now on the clock with the NCAA and they now have 90 days to respond to the letter of allegation set forth by the NCAA in their investigation in and around Nevin Shapiro...

Those words "lack of institutional control" are being bandied about...

And President Donna Shalala thinks the school has been punished enough and punished itself enough...

Thanks for that thought, Madame President...

You can't punish yourself... unless you really wanted your football team to go to the Belk Bowl...

In addition to the alleged 72 athletes Shapiro claims benefited in the football program, former head men's basketball coach Frank Haith has been named as part of the deal. He did address the letter after his win over Virginia:

"There was no unethical conduct in my notice of allegation," Haith said. "And it is just an allegation, so we get a chance to defend ourselves."

Haith is alleged of failing "to promote an atmosphere for compliance," a charge specific to how he handled things when Shapiro allegedly wanted money in exchange for not going public with accusations that he paid to help the Hurricanes recruit a player.

So, there's that...

Here's Steve Shapiro...with that and highlights...
WSVN-TV -

President Shalala wrote a rather lengthy rebuttal to the NCAA's allegations, saying in part:

"Despite their efforts over two and a half years, the NCAA enforcement staff could not find evidence of prostitution, expensive cars for players, expensive dinners paid for by boosters, player bounty payments, rampant alcohol and drug use, or the alleged hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and gifts given to student-athletes, as reported in the media. The fabricated story played well -- the facts did not."

The whole response can be found hyah, thanks again to WSVN...

Haith May Face NCAA Ethics Charge

((HT: KSHB-TV))

It looks like Uncle Nevin is coming back to bite people from behind bars, and one of them may be current Missouri head hoops coach Frank Haith.

According to a story on CBSSports.com, the NCAA may hit Haith with unethical conduct and failure to promote an atmosphere of compliance- two very serious charges that won't be taken lightly.

Nevin Shapiro had accused Haith of acknowledging a $10,000 payoff to land a commitment from DeQuan Jones while he was the Hurricanes head coach back in 2007.
The NCAA can't currently link the 10-grand to Jones and Haith, but they didn't believe his story on his assistants taking the money to repay Shapiro.

There will be a test later on...

Here's the early thoughts from Kansas City...

Uh Oh...Yahoo Sports connects Al Golden with Nevin Shapiro associate

Al Golden

((ht: yahoo.com/sports))

So much for University of Miami coach Al Golden saying he is trying to distance the school from the damage done by former booster Nevin Shapiro.

In a somewhat scary report released Friday afternoon, Yahoo Sports reporter Charles Robinson details the relationship between Golden, his staff and former equipment manager and Shapiro co-hort Sean "Pee-Wee" Allen.

Allen is apparently accused of providing improper benefits to Miami players for years and more recently as an "Off-The Books" recruiter for "The U". And the last part...that assignment was given to him by Golden and the staff.

Read Robinson's detailed report RIGHT HERE

The NCAA has yet to act on the multitude of allegations that have been hurled against Miami by them and for that matter, by Shapiro. They say the issue is "Still being investigated".

Okay, why has it taken over a year?

If any--or all of these allegations are true, then Miami needs to pay the price and suffer harsh penalties. But...we aren't convinced that is going to happen. It should, but we don't think it will. We couldn't tell you what the excuse will be. But we believe there will be one.

Surely something will turn up. Right?

Here's the Yahoo! video version...

Miami Declares 8 Ineligible For Maryland, So Far...

Including QB Jacory Harris and LB Sean Spence...

And what this action does, really, is force the NCAA into a more immediate investigation into the eligibility (or lack thereof) of the athletes involved in the current Nevin Shapiro entanglement...

The HQ gets this gambit completely...

Auburn did the same thing with Cam Newton and forced the NCAA's hand into declaring him eligible. Miami is hoping the same thing will happen with their ineligibilities...

Is that a word...??? It is now...

Susan Miller Degnan's piece in the Miami Herald detailing everything is hyah...

Another five players, all believed to be footballers, were not declared ineligible because the school believes the value of the gift was less than $100.

Here's Al Golden having to answer questions about stuff he shouldn't have to answer...
((HT: WFOR-TV Miami))


The only downside to the whole reinstatement process is that the NCAA looks at each case individually, so Miami will have to wait. Golden was set to name all of his eligible players Tuesday as preparation for the game against Maryland...

UPDATE:

Here's Miami head coach Al Golden Friday morning before practice. (Thanks Canes All Access)

Shalala Admits 15 Under Investigation at UM

((HT: umcommunications))

Miami president Donna Shalala says university compliance officers are looking into the eligibility of 15 Hurricanes players who have been implicated by Nevin Shapiro's conversation with Charles Robinson.

In a video message released Monday, Shalala says the university "will move through the process thoroughly."

Here's her message to the community...


Five months ago, NCAA officials say that they started investigating Shapiro's claims. President Shalala says Miami has retained attorneys who specialize in NCAA investigations to assist with the process.

Of course, she has... she needs to keep an eye on her career dissipation light as well... remember the photo of her at the bowling alley...???

We all do now...

Nevin Shapiro Speaks...

((HT: WFOR-TV Miami))

Sports Director Jim Berry caught up with wannabe-mogul and currently-busted Miami booster and Ponzi scheme accusee Nevin Shapiro to get his opinions on the explosive Yahoo!Sports article- which details "Little Luke" being in touch with six doxen athletes and/or coaches...

Here's the conversation...


Now, we all know that Shapiro has an axe-and-a-half to grind since he received no assistance from the guys he helped out when they were coming out at Da U...

But, we all know that if the death penalty isn't in play here, something is definitely wrong with the NCAA...

More when we know more...

Remember the Name Nevin Shapiro...

Since he may bring all sorts of fun, allegations, and infractions to the University of Miami before it's all said and done...

Shapiro has a relationship with Da U that goes back almost ten years or so. He claimed that he had players on his yacht and gave a handful of players, what the NCAA would consider, illegal benefits. Some of the alleged incidents occurred in the past four years, which would be within the NCAA's statute of limitations regarding violations.

Miami officials said that when Shapiro first made his allegations nearly a year ago, he and his attorneys refused to provide any facts to the school.

"The university notified the NCAA enforcement officials of these allegations," the school said in a statement. "We are fully cooperating with the NCAA and are conducting a joint investigation. The University of Miami takes these matters very seriously."

Miami head coach Al Golden knows that some things may have gone wrong, but he obviously wouldn't have any idea on what since he wasn't around then...

He addressed the matter before practice...
((HT: WFOR-TV))


Why is Shapiro coming out with all of this now...???
He's coming up on Ponzi scheme charges and has a book coming out as well...