Why was the Alabama football program placed on probation by the NCAA?
The NCAA placed Alabama’s football program and 15 other of the school’s athletic teams on three years’ probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks, stripping the Crimson Tide of 21 football wins over a three-year period. The NCAA said 201 athletes in 16 sports obtained “impermissible benefits” by using their scholarships to obtain free textbooks for other students. Alabama identified 22 athletes, including seven football players, as “intentional wrongdoers” who knew they were receiving improper benefits. As a result, the NCAA ruled the football team must vacate any wins in which any of those seven players took part during 2005-07. Alabama said that pending a successful appeal, the decision would cost the program 21 wins, including the 2005 Cotton Bowl victory over Texas Tech and an upset of Florida earlier that season. Eight of the wins using ineligible players occurred in 2005, Mike Shula’s best season as coach. Neither the football team nor any other sport lost pos
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — The NCAA placed Alabama’s football program and 15 other of the school’s athletic teams on three years’ probation for major violations due to misuse of free textbooks. The NCAA said 201 athletes in 16 sports obtained “impermissible benefits” by using their scholarships to obtain free textbooks for other students. Alabama identified 22 athletes, including seven football players, as “intentional wrongdoers” who knew they were receiving improper benefits. As a result, the NCAA ruled the football team must vacate any wins in which any of those seven players took part during 2005-2007. Neither the football team nor any other sport lost postseason eligibility or scholarships. The other sports hit with probation were softball, baseball, gymnastics, women’s basketball, soccer, volleyball and both the men’s and women’s teams in basketball, golf, swimming, tennis and track and field. The university was ordered to pay a $43,900 fine. Sources:
