Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Update On Michigan Cheating Allegations


Back in September the news broke about University of Michigan football players alleging that their own program was routinely violating NCAA rules by practicing and engaging in other football-related activities for hours well in excess of the daily and weekly limits set by NCAA rules.

Many poo-pooed the allegations, basically saying that if the Michigan players wanted to be a big-time football program, they should man up and stop whining.

I wrote that I thought the allegations were serious and indicated a lack of integrity in the Michigan program that was harmful to college athletics.

New information is now out which provides an important update on the allegations. There has been a thorough investigation of Coach Rich Rodriguez's program, and he has been cleared of all wrongdoing.

Just kidding!

Actually, both the University and the NCAA continue their investigations, and the latest news is that Coach Rodriguez and the football program failed to file, for the entire 2008-2009 school year, the monthly forms required by the school compliance office that track the hours put in by its players. Isn't that an odd coincidence?

The football program, it turns out, is the only sport at Michigan that failed to turn in the required forms. This certainly makes Coach Rodriguez look bad, but it doesn't say much about U of M's "institutional control" of the football program that nobody in the compliance office bothered to ask for the forms for a whole year either.

In possibly related news, ESPN's Michael Wilbon is reporting that Rich Rodriguez will not be back as the Wolverines' coach next year.

5 comments:

Jeff S said...

Do you really believe that all programs, ND included, practice only 20 hours per week?

Bill said...

I believe that all programs, Michigan included, have a preset schedule of required times, including practice, meetings, games, required lifting, etc.

I also know that the players put in many more hours than 20 a week doing football related activities: training table, treatment, working out, watching video in the Gug or their dorm rooms, studying the playbook, etc.

The difference is whether the players are required, either by word, actions, or other means (coaches in attendance at voluntary 7-on-7s, asking for reports of who was there and who was not, and threatening/intimidating players to participate. What seems to have happened at Michigan, is that players, either current or former, that had one problem or another with Michigan, came out and said that those things were happening that made the voluntary seem required.

OC Domer said...

Jeff S.: Notre Dame is the most scrutinized program in the country. I absolutely believe that our players do not have required activities each week in excess of the NCAA limit. If we were fudging it we'd be the ones with NCAA investigators crawling all over our campus.

By the way Jeff, "Everyone else is doing it" is not exactly a denial of wrongdoing, is it?

Anonymous said...

The season results make them look guilty. Extra spring and summer practices lead to a 4-0 start (along with some friendly refs for ND and IU). Then once 'classes' start and the allegations are made, a legal practice schedule is followed, and a 1-6 record is the result.

Sorin Otter

Anonymous said...

MICHIGAN 38 NOTRE DAME 34

By the way the story broke on July 24, before summer ball and before the 4-0 start get your facts correct!!! I guess "friendly refs" showed up alot when Notre Dame was losing this year. I don't blame you for hating on Michigan, I would too if my team sucked for the last 13 years!!!