LSU Football On One-Year Probation After Major Violation, NCAA Announces

The Real Reason LSU Escaped With Probation

LSU Football On One-Year Probation After Major Violation, NCAA Announces

The LSU Tigers have self-imposed recruiting restrictions, plus a two-scholarship reduction, for a former assistant coach's overeager phone recruiting and other indiscretions from 2008 to 2009. The NCAA's Committee on Infractions accepted those penalties and put the program on one year of probation. However, the NCAA praised LSU for taking the investigation seriously.

LSU coaches will miss out on 10 percent of their official recruiting visit opportunities for the next two years. That scholarship penalty will also last two seasons.

According to the Associated Press, that former coach was WR coach D.J. McCarthy, whose contact with Juco DL Akiem Hicks started up the whole mess. McCarthy left the team in late 2009, shortly after the period which was under investigation. Whether the assistant was McCarthy or not, whoever it was has been hit with a show cause order for one year, meaning any school that chooses to hire him will have to take it up with the NCAA first.

Any further major violations incurred by LSU during the next five years will qualify them for repeat violator status. However, that doesn't include the outcome of the Willie Lyles case, as that one began being investigated before the announcement of the probation. 

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