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NCAA Investigations

Syracuse University plans to appeal vacation of wins, reduction of scholarships for men’s basketball program

By Matt SchneidmanSenior Staff Writer

UPDATED: March 18, 2015 at 10:31 p.m.

Citing what Chancellor Kent Syverud called excessive and disproportionate penalties, Syracuse University will appeal the vacation of certain wins by the men’s basketball program and the scholarship reductions for the team.

“The University does not agree with all of the conclusions reached by the Committee on Infractions and does not agree that the full set of penalties imposed by the Committee are appropriate or equitable,” Syverud said Wednesday in a campus-wide email.

In the NCAA’s report issued March 6, SU was punished for violations of academic integrity, the school’s drug policy and a lack of institutional control. Among other punishments were the men’s basketball and football programs being put on five-year probation.

In the email, Syverud said after a meeting with the Board of Trustees Athletics Committee, the university will accept some of the penalties imposed by the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions in addition to appealing the vacation of wins and scholarship reductions.



Jim Boeheim has yet to decide whether he will appeal his nine-game suspension to start conference play, Syverud said in the email, adding that the university will fully support him if he chooses to do so.

“The decision to appeal is not taken lightly,” Syverud said. “However, based on the facts and a review of previous NCAA infractions decisions, the University believes the impact of these specific penalties is excessive and disproportionate.”

In an interview with The Daily Orange Wednesday, ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas said he believes the penalties were excessive and not in line with the evidence presented. However, he said he isn’t confident that SU will be successful in its appeal to the NCAA.

“I don’t hold that much hope in appealing to the same entity that handed out sanctions in the first place,” he said. “I think it’s a rubber-stamp organization.”

— News Editor Brett Samuels contributed reporting to this article





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