Football: UL officials relieved over NCAA ruling

Kevin Foote, The Advertiser, January 12, 2016

 

The unknown is over.

For those on the inside of the NCAA’s investigation of UL’s football program regarding fraudulent ACT scores, it’s been two years of waiting and wondering where it would all end.

For the hard-core Ragin’ Cajun fans, it’s been several months of agonizing over what could happen, fearing the worst and hoping for the best.

For all involved with the program’s recruiting process, it’s been at least that long of trying to fend off the speculation of doom from rival schools to potential signees.

On Tuesday, the NCAA Committee on Infractions ended the troubling waiting period.

Certainly some questions remain. But basically, the mystery has been cleared. The rumors and predictions of disaster can cease.

The NCAA stiffened the punishment some, adding to the university’s self-imposed penalties.

Cutting to the chase, however, the news was better than good for UL’s football program.

Sure, the additional recruiting restrictions will complicate the recruiting process. Sure, no one really wants a $5,000 fine. Sure, Cajun fans won’t be thrilled about some more wins being vacated during the 2012-14 seasons.

But when an NCAA ruling for a Level 1 violation doesn’t include a postseason bowl ban, it’s time to dance.

When that ruling doesn’t charge the university with a “lack of institutional control” and said the head coach had no “lack of head coach responsibility,” it’s time to hold an all-out celebration.

When asked for his immediate reaction to the ruling, UL’s Director of Athletics Scott Farmer revealed multiple responses.

He was naturally relieved that the process was finally over.

Imagine how much behind-the-scenes time, energy, manpower and money — a figure Farmer ballparked as “probably six figures” in Tuesday’s press conference — has been dedicated to this issue by the athletic department over the last two years.

Secondly, he admitted a “huge sigh of relief” that there was no bowl ban.

But Farmer also revealed that he still harbors a lot of anger over “one employee (former UL assistant coach David Saunders) who made us go through all this.”

The aspect of the ruling that likely did Farmer’s heart the best was the NCAA’s assessment that “the institution’s exemplary cooperation in this case was a model for the kind of relationship and cooperation member institutions should strive for in the infractions process.”

As the press conference rolled on, Farmer offered some insight, while not be able to answer other questions.

For instance, the reason for the NCAA planning to unveil the ruling Friday and then postponing it was a simple clerical error that Farmer said he appreciated being rectified before the ruling was released.

The university, though, doesn’t know yet how many games the student-athletes in question participated in, saying the compliance department will begin determining that number now.

Farmer also said the names of the athletes involved in the ACT eligibility scam will not be released.

Unfortunately, UL coach Mark Hudspeth was at the coaches convention trying to nail down a new offensive coordinator, so he was able to provide any insight on how much damage all the negative recruiting in recent months has hurt UL’s effort.

Suffice it to say that he’s elated that his assistant coaches can finally tell recruits what the future really could hold, as opposed to any suggestions of ruin they may have heard during the waiting period.

Theoretically, there’s enough time to re-recruit some of them before the Feb. 3 signing day.

As rosy as it all sounds, though, his program is still on probation.

Any other transgressions won’t likely meet such a favorable conclusion. Probation means the NCAA’s eye is firmly on the program and the university.

For now, though, the process of cooperation and the anxiety overload of waiting for the potential hammer that never came proved much worse than the sting of the actual ruling.